Torn
by emblemthreefan
Summary: Chloe James is that smart, shy girl sitting in the corner. She's been that her whole life. Her parents expect her to maintain the best of grades and be valedictorian like her sister. She hasn't been to many parties and barely has any friends. But she does have a crush on one of the hottest guys in school who just so happens to be in a band called Emblem3. Based on the song Chloe.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

It was fifth period. I sat at my desk, reading the fifth book of my all-time favorite series Night World. This book was called The Chosen. It was about a girl, Rashel, who was a vampire hunter but realizes she loves a vampire named Quinn. They are soul mates and even though they come from two different worlds, they have much in common. How I loved these romance-filled books. If only these types of romances would happen in real life. I was just about to read the intense fighting scene between Rashel and Quinn when I noticed someone's presence in front of me. I looked up slowly to find an old, dark-skinned man with graying hair looking down at me. My teacher, Mr. Johnson, was standing there with a stern look upon his face. Now, Mr. Johnson wasn't really the strict type, especially with me since I was his favorite student if I do say so myself, but right now he seemed pretty upset. I closed my book and gave him a weak smile which was returned with nothing but a scowl. He put his hand out, and it took everything in me not to slap his hand back and give him a high-five…or should I say low-five. I handed him my book, and he walked back to the front of the class, setting my book on his desk. He went on to talk about energy and momentum.

I slowly slouched down in my seat since I just realized everyone's eyes were on me. Couldn't people just mind their own business? Their stares made me feel so uncomfortable that I could feel my cheeks start to burn up. I was relieved to finally hear the ding of the bell.

"Chloe James," said Mr. Johnson. I groaned inwardly. "I'd like to have a word with you."

I walked towards his desk. After the class emptied out and basically everyone left, he began to speak. "I know you're grades are very important to you and your parents."

"Mhm," I replied, while adjusting my glasses. I knew where this was going.

"But if you want to see yourself being valedictorian this year, you're going to have to put in a lot of effort." I'd heard this speech tons of times from all of my teachers. Everyone expected me to be valedictorian which was a lot of pressure. I wanted to enjoy life, not be stuck studying all the time. "You can't be distracted with silly books," he said, while pointing to my Night World book. "If this happens again, I will make sure to dock off points from your participation. I know you wouldn't want to see your GPA go down a decimal point because of that." Well,_ I_ wouldn't mind, I thought. But my parents definitely would.

"Yup. You are totally right Mr. Johnson. I'll try to control myself next time." I gave a fake smile. He gave me back my book which signaled that I could leave.

It bothered me how everyone expected so much from me. I was only one person. My parents brought me up by introducing only intelligent things to my childish brain. Instead of TV, I had the joy of learning how to read. Once I learned to work a computer, I got to play games online. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed playing games, but what child would want to play Math and Science games when they could be playing video games? Because of my parents, I grew up to be an immensely smart, talented girl which was good but also unfair. I became smart by having to be mature early on and not having many friends. I also hadn't enjoyed any of what life has to offer. Everyone at school just knew me as "That smart girl."

However, my older sister, Britney, was never treated this way. She didn't have my parents on her case at all times or anything like that. She was naturally smart but also beautiful at the same time. She had thin brown hair with blonde highlights and silver-grey eyes. Because she was beautiful, instead of being nerdy, she was classified as popular in high school. Right now, she was in college at Northwestern.

I was walking to my locker, lost in my angry thoughts of how I wished to be normal when I bumped into something hard. I slipped and fell onto the ground. Hard. "Ow," I groaned. I probably had a bruise on my butt because I couldn't even stand up properly. As if my day couldn't get any worse.

"Watch where you're go-" I looked at the imbecile I bumped in to and stopped short.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/n:**** Shoutout to 1Dgreaserfangirl* for being the first to comment! I really appreciate it :)**

**Also, I forgot to mention that this story is also an Austin Mahone fanfic but it's mostly about emblem3. I don't own either one of them...lol**

**Chapter 2 **

IT WAS DREW FREAKIN' CHADWICK! There were no words to describe him. He was just perfect. I'd had a crush on him since forever. He had crystal blue orbs that resembled the waves of the ocean and gelled up hair that was a mix of brown and blonde. His arms were toned but not so much that he looked like a wrestler. He was also in a band called Emblem3 along with two other guys. I'd never heard their songs, but everyone said they were amazing.

I stared at him while he gathered his stuff. If only I could touch his perfectness….I snapped out of my thoughts once he finished collecting his things. He got up and said, "Sorry," in a gruff voice. I was in such a state of shock that I couldn't even get out a reply. I just stared in awe. He turned around and walked away.

I was such a dork. No guy, let alone Drew, would ever want a girl like me. I wasn't what people would call beautiful. With thick, brown hair and small, brown eyes that were covered by my glasses, I was just…average. There was nothing special about me. Also, my body was normal. I wasn't obese fat or anorexic skinny. Just in the middle.

I got to lunch and sat at an isolated table outside. I ate my lunch in boredom until I was joined by Aly. We'd known each other for a few years, and she was the only person I actually considered remotely close to being my friend. She had jet black hair that matched her black eyes and glasses.

"Hey," she said in a small voice.

"Guess what?!" I said a little too happily. Before she had time to reply, I answered my own question. "I bumped into Drew today."

"Drew Chadwick?" Her eyes lit up.

"The one and only," I smiled. Aly knew I had a crush on Drew since the day we became friends.

"Did you guys talk?" she asked while stroking her hair and looking at her food.

"…Not really…He said sorry and then walked off. And me being the nervous person that I am was speechless."

She laughed. That was the difference between Aly and I. She knew how to talk to people and not make it awkward even though she was pretty quiet. If someone talked to her though, she would know how to continue the conversation where as I would just sit there in silence. I guess that's why we're friends though.

After lunch and a few more classes, I drove home with my 16-year-old brother Austin. I went straight to my room and crashed on my bed after I retrieved my diary from my bookcase. Okay yes. Maybe people _should_ perceive me as a nerd because coming to my house would definitely prove it. I have a bookcase next to my bed with so many books that I could open up a library. And yes. I also have a diary which I hide amongst all of these books. Call me childish, but I don't care. I need a diary to let out all my feelings in or else I would've exploded a long time ago.

I flipped through my plain, old diary which I'd had for as long as I could remember. It had everything about me in it. Recently though, I'd been writing more about Drew than anything. I'd probably be called a stalker for this or something, but I observed him all the time. Yeah it probably seems creepy, but people really didn't notice. Even Aly hadn't noticed yet so I must be pretty skillful. I turned to a new page and wrote about our encounter from today. After a while, I closed my diary and went downstairs.

My mom was home. She was cooking in the kitchen. She was a cute, small lady with chocolate brown hair and grey eyes. Sadly, I didn't get those eyes, but Britney did. Don't let her appearance fool you though. My mom wasn't exactly the nicest person to be around. "Hi," I said. She just continued to stir whatever was in the pot as if she didn't hear me. Great. I must be in trouble.

After a long while, she looked up. She walked over to the table and picked up some mail and started looking through it. She found what she was looking for then handed it to me. I looked at the already-opened envelope in my hand. It had my school's address on it. I took out the piece of paper in it then read. It was my report card. Oh joy. This couldn't be good. I looked at my grades. They were all A's so I didn't really see the problem except that one of my classes, Math, had a low A. I put the paper back in the envelope and set it back on the table.

"Well, what do you have to say for yourself?" mom said in a grating voice.

"Nothing. My grades are fine," I replied. If I was satisfied, then I didn't see what the problem was.

She looked ready to kill. "'Fine' isn't good enough. Britney always had high A's especially in Math. You need to get your act together if you want to be valedictorian, missy." She started to go on and on about Britney so I tuned her out. Finally, I'd had enough. I walked out of the kitchen and sat outside.

After a few minutes, I calmed down, but as I was going back inside, the door opened and out walked Austin. Both of my siblings had gotten the good looks. Austin had hair like my moms, all soft and light brown. He also had hazel eyes. My little brother would have tons of girls drooling over him soon enough, and I was sure of that.

"Hey," he smiled. "Fight with mom again?"

"As usual," I rolled my eyes. "Where are you going?" See, Austin had a lot more freedom growing up than me. He could go anywhere at any time, and it wouldn't really matter. His grades were just average too. I guess that's one of the perks of being a guy.

"Bowling with my friend, Keaton."

I'd never paid attention to any of Austin's friends, but I acted like I knew him. "Want a ride?" I asked. Austin only had his permit for now, so he couldn't really drive.

"Sure." That was the funny thing about our relationship. Most siblings always fought, but Austin and I were pretty chill. We both had an understanding of each other. He was nice and would never get embarrassed of me in front of his friends.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/n: So I was bored and decided to post another chapter... Make sure to comment. Constructive criticism is much appreciated :)**

**Chapter 3 **

I drove into the parking lot with my 2007 black Honda Civic. Sure it wasn't anything amazing, but I didn't complain. At least I had a car.

I decided to stay with Austin instead of going back home. I wasn't really ready to face my mom. We walked into the ginormous bowling arena. There were multi-colored lights flashing everywhere and music on at full blast. Shockingly, there weren't many people in the lanes.

Austin set up the game while he waited for Keaton. I sat on one of the seats where they would be playing and took out my Night World book once again, determined to finish it tonight. I was so absorbed in my book that I hadn't realized Keaton already arrived.

"That's my sister," said Austin, smiling and pointing at me.

"Hey. What's up?" said Keaton, while shaking my hand. His hair was disheveled as if he had just woken up, and his eyes were a light blue-grey color.

"Nothing much," I replied with a smile.

They went ahead and started their game. I got absorbed back into my book when someone said, "So what book are you reading?"

I got annoyed. "The Chosen. It's part of the Night World series as you can clearly see," I said tightly while putting my book down to see who would ask such a stupid question. The title was clearly visible.

I was met with a brown-haired grey-eyed guy that looked about my age. He had a hat on backwards that said 'Inspire' and rosy cheeks. He looked oddly familiar. I didn't even notice that he was sitting a few inches next to me.

"Whoa. Calm down, girl. It was just a question," he said while backing his arms away. He had some sort of odd accent that I couldn't really figure out.

"Whatever." I tried getting back to my book.

"My names Wesley, but you can call me Wes."

"I'm Chloe. Now that we've introduced ourselves, can I ask why you are here and talking to me, _Wesley_?" I said roughly.

"I'm Keaton's brother." Oh, I thought. Now I kind of felt bad. Keaton seemed nice, so I probably shouldn't have yelled at his brother…oops my mistake. "And you're Austin's sister right?"

"Yup," I said a little softer, ashamed of my behavior. I opened my book once again.

"Are you seriously planning on reading when you're at a place like this?"

"Yeah. Is there something wrong with that?" I asked, feeling a little embarrassed.

"No." He shook his head. "But normal people would actually bowl instead of sitting around."

"Are you calling me abnormal?" I asked.

"No… not at all," he replied sarcastically, obviously challenging me. I slammed my book shut and stood up to set up a game. Wesley followed behind me, laughing.

"Feisty. I like it," he said in an undertone. I don't know why, but that comment got me really upset. It was my turn for the first frame, and I was steaming. I rolled the ball and got a strike. I turned around and smiled mockingly at Wesley. He looked a little shocked.

After the ten frames were up, we added up the scores, and I won. "See," I said to Wesley. "I know how to have fun."

"I let you win," he said smugly.

"Yeah right. You're just a sore loser," I said while sticking out my tongue.

After Austin and Keaton finished their second game, we ordered a pizza from the snack bar. Keaton, Wesley, and Austin were talking about some band while I just sat there awkwardly. Apparently, the band was going to play at one of the clubs this weekend. It was sold-out.

"What band are you talking about?" I asked.

"Emblem3," replied Keaton.

"Oh. You guys are into that band too?!" I asked amazed.

Keaton and Wesley smirked. "They _are _that band," said Austin.

Realization hit me. How could I have been so oblivious? Drew was in a band with these two. I'd seen them all around school, but never really knew their names.

"Oh," I said while blushing out of embarrassment.

"So who's your favorite member?" asked Wesley. "I bet it's me." He smiled a cute smile with a small trace of dimples on his cheeks.

"Dude. It's me," said Keaton while doing the infamous model pose. "Right?"

"How did you know?" I said to Keaton. I had to lie obviously. I would never reveal my love for Drew. Ever.  
"All the girls do." He flashed a smile while doing a boy nod. He really was cute for a little kid.

Wesley faked being offended. "How could you turn down all this?" He said while pointing to his body. He was way too cocky for my liking.

"Easy," I said. "Come on Austin." We made our way towards the exit. While we walked out, I heard Keaton laugh.

While driving home, Austin said "So you had fun today, didn't you?" He wiggled his eyebrows up and down.

"Fun? With that annoying Wesley? Is that your definition of fun?" He just laughed.

The truth is, tonight was the most fun I'd had all my life. I'd always been school-oriented and never learned to live. Even though Wesley was really cocky and annoying as hell, I enjoyed myself.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Austin and I got home around 11:00 at night. I tried to be slick by closing the front door slowly, but luck was never on my side. My parents both stood in the living room unpleasantly.

I waved at them coolly, but they refused to play along. "Where were you two?" asked my dad, concern etched all over his face. He had a receding hairline and a few gray hairs here and there. "It's a school night, you know?"

Before I could answer, Austin replied, "I asked her to go bowling with my friend and I. My fault." Gosh I loved my brother!

I knew they still didn't approve, but since Austin was their favorite, they overlooked it. "As for you Chloe, you left in the middle of my speaking to you," said my mom.

"Yeah, I know." I looked away.

"That means extra chores for you."

"But-"

"No buts. Complainers get double the work," said my dad. "Or in this case triple."

How was I supposed to handle school _and_ extra chores? I had enough going on in my life already. I groaned and ran upstairs to my room. My family was so dysfunctional it wasn't even funny. Britney had gotten all of my parent's attention since the day she was born to when she went off to college. After she went, Austin got it since he was the youngest. I'd never gotten much attention unless it was for getting good grades. Plus, I was the middle child. I'd never felt any affection from my parents, and that's why I craved it so much from someone. Anyone.

I woke up late the next morning and literally got ready in five minutes. I cried myself to sleep last night, so I woke up with faded mascara marks on my face. It took forever to wash it off, but once I did, I quickly changed into whatever I saw first. It was a white tank top with a brown jacket on top along with a brown and black scarf and jeans. I wasn't exactly comfortable with my body, so I didn't own any skirts or shorts. I also wore a gold and brown ring because I never went anywhere without one.

Austin and I left the house, me without breakfast, and got to school just before the bell rang.

During locker time, I was putting away my books when someone brushed beside me. I turned around and saw Wesley standing there with a book in his hand. "'Sup?" he smiled, leaning against the lockers.

I rolled my eyes. He seemed like such a typical player. You know the type. The ones that entice you, but after they get what they want, they leave you for someone else. Ugh! I hated those types of guys. I would never fall for that game. Plus, I wanted Drew. Nothing less.

"What do you want?" I asked, a little annoyed.

"Just wanted to give you your book back," he said while holding it out towards me.

I took it. "Oh Rashel, how did I forget you?" I said.

Wesley chuckled. "It was a pretty good book actually."

"You actually read it?" What kind of player reads? Especially a player that's in a band? I thought silently to myself.

"Yeah. I love to read."

"That's weird..." I didn't mean to sound rude but come on. This was news to me.

"Wes!" called someone. I realized it was Drew. He was wearing jeans with a blue fitted shirt, and he was walking towards us. Ohmigosh. I was having a mini spaz attack. They did a weird type of handshake then Drew continued. "We still on for practice after school?"

"You know it," said Wesley. "Is it okay if I bring a fan to watch us though?"

"Sure. Who is it?" Wesley pointed at me, and I smiled an awkward smile. Me? Why me? Actually, if agreeing to this meant getting closer to Drew, then why not?

"Hey, I know you. You're that girl I bumped into yesterday, right?"

"Haha. Yup. That's me. What can I say? I'm a klutz," my voice trembled with every word.

Drew smiled, showing his shiny white teeth. He looked so gorgeous like that. I wished I could just take a picture at that very moment to try to capture his beauty. "By the way, my name's Chloe."

"Drew," he extended his hand. As if I didn't know who the hottest guy at school was. I had to control myself from fainting while shaking his hand.

"Can _I_ bring a friend though?" I asked. I definitely wouldn't be able to last a couple of hours with Drew all by myself. I needed Aly there with me for moral support.

"Sure," they both said. The bell rang, and I went to my next class.

At lunch, I sat at the usual table. Aly came a few minutes later. I actually had to do a double take. "You got contacts!" I squealed.

"Yup," she smiled. She looked so much prettier, and her face seemed more vibrant.

"So are you free after school?" I asked.

"Yeah, why?"

"Oh, no reason. We are just going to be hanging out with Emblem3 today."

"No way! Are you joking? Don't play with me Chloe."

"Seriously. Wesley invited us." Aly's face was filled with joy. Maybe I could hook her up with Wesley after Drew and I got together. Actually, I wouldn't want to put her through that kind of torture...

**A/N: I know a lot didn't really happen in this chapter so sorry about that. I might update later today though to make up for it...**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/n:**** Next Chapter! Hope you enjoy. Make sure to comment and favorite.. :)**

**Chapter 5 **

I dropped Austin home after school then met Aly at Wesley's house. I parked the car and saw that Aly had already arrived. I rang the doorbell, but there was no answer, so I went around to the backyard. I opened the fence and couldn't believe my eyes. There was a massive area with a pool, stage, and stereos all around. Whoa.

I walked further until I saw Aly, Wesley, Drew, and Keaton standing on the stage, talking. Drew changed into a beige hoodie, Wesley wore a red V-neck and his signature hat, and Keaton wore a green polo. I smiled and waved then joined all of them.

"Well, now that everyone's here, we can do our thang," said Drew. He sounded so cute when he said that.

Aly and I stood in front of the stage, waiting for them to begin. The song started off with Keaton and Drew playing guitar. Wesley then started off the song. It was called Sunset Blvd.

_Let's take a trip to Sunset Boulevard in the city of stars_

_The city of blinding lights and starry eyes_

_I said now welcome to the city of angels, woah_

_City of angels, woah_

Drew later joined him by rapping, and Keaton did backup vocals.

_I said a bright future reflects off my aviators_

_Here's a peace sign going out to all my haters_

_High five Keaton, no hurt hand_

_When we get samples at Yogurt Land_

_Then we chill smooth, talk about Betty Blomby_

_Kill brews, play Call of Duty Zombies, yeah_

_She's startin to get the best of me_

_While she makes her mind up whether she wants me or Wesley_

After they were done, they sang a couple of more songs. Each time they sang, I had tingles. They were just that good. I was addicted to their songs and had them memorized after hearing them only once.

I now understood why people were obsessed with Emblem3. They were beyond amazing. They were out of this world. And I wasn't just saying that because of Drew. Not only were they all hot, but they knew how to sing. Their voices were all so unique. They each had this raspy, throaty voice when they sang, and it went so well with their music. They wrote their own songs too.

When they completed their set, Aly and I stood there gaping. "You can close your mouths now girls, you'll catch flies," said Keaton. He was adorable in a totally non-pedophile way.

"So how were we?" asked Drew.

"I have no words. You guys blew my mind," I replied.

They all smiled. "Aw thanks Chloe," said Wesley.

"Don't feel too flattered," I replied.

Aly left since she had to get home because she had a ton of homework to get done. Drew and Keaton then went inside while I was stuck sitting with Wesley.

I sat on the grass. One minute, Wesley was sitting next to me and the next, he pulled off his shirt and cannon balled into the pool. "What is wrong with you?" I stood next to the pool, shaking my head while trying to hold back a laugh.

He didn't say anything but got out of the pool and walked towards me. "What are you doing?" I asked as he got closer. Oh god.

"You need to learn how to live," he said. He pushed me into the pool without even using a bit of energy. I screamed then realized I didn't even know how to swim. I gasped for air while bobbing up and down in the water. I finally felt two strong arms pull me up and out of the water just when I felt like I was going to die. I was gently laid on the grass while I coughed my guts out. I secretly hoped it was Drew that saved me, but was disappointed when I saw that it was Wesley. His hair was soaked, and it actually looked good. Shocker..

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"Yeah. Just great," I replied sarcastically.

"In my defense, how was I supposed to know you couldn't swim?" He whined.

"Well, normal people don't do stupid things like pushing people into a pool," I mocked him from the bowling night. He laughed. I couldn't help but laugh along with him.

Drew came outside. "What happened?" He asked with horror.

"Nothing. Chloe's just real clumsy," replied Wesley. I punched him in the gut.

Drew laughed. "Haha. I like this one," he said. It felt so good hearing him say that.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

The next day at lunch, Aly and I sat and talked about the day before. "…and then he pushed me into the pool! What a jerk!" I exclaimed.

"Haha. Sounds fun. I wish I could've stayed," said Aly. We continued to talk until I saw Drew and Wesley walking towards our table.

"Hey girls," said Drew.

"Hi Drew," Aly and I said in unison.

Wesley looked back and forth between me and Aly. "Hi to you too," he said orotundly.

"Oh…hey Wesley," I said while narrowing my eyes at him. "Why are you guys sitting here?" I asked after a few minutes, noticing almost every girl glaring at Aly and I. Drew and Wesley usually always sat inside with the cool crowd. Well, technically, they _were_ the cool crowd.

"Thought we'd change it up a bit and sit outside with our new best friends," said Wesley jokingly while putting an arm around my shoulder. I slowly shoved him off.

"No but seriously," said Drew. "You two seem pretty cool. Plus, the cool crowd's getting old. I'd much rather hang with you guys." I wished someone would pinch me, so I would know if I was dreaming. If I was, I never wanted to wake up.

We all sat and talked about whatever. I only heard what Drew said though. He was so deep. He talked about how his parents divorced when he was little and that's what drove him to express himself and his feelings. He found that music spoke to him more than anything and decided to do something about it. Wesley and him were rivals in school, but eventually became friends when they found out they had music in common. They formed a band and here they were now. Playing sold out concerts.

"Speaking of sold out concerts," said Drew. "You two should come to our show tomorrow night."

"We don't have tickets, and you said it yourself it's already sold out," said Aly.

Drew reached into his pocket and took out two tickets then handed them to me and Aly. "Problem solved," he smiled. His smile made his whole face radiate with light. It was unreal. He was a walking ball of perfection.

Aly and I squealed, and I accidentally spilled water on myself and Wesley. Way to go Queen of Embarrassment.

"I am so sorry," I said to Wesley while putting my hands to my face. I could feel myself turning red as a tomato.

"It's all good," he said. "I was feeling a little hot anyways."

Aly and Drew laughed while Wesley and I got up to grab some napkins. "Seriously Wesley that was totally by mistake. I wouldn't ever do that on purpose. Well…maybe I would. But still-"

He put a hand up to let me know I should shut up. "First off, it's Wes not Wesley. Second, chillax. I'm not mad at you."

"I wouldn't blame you if you were though. I've been totally mean to you since the second we met. I realized though that you've never done anything to me, so I should at least give you a chance before I start being rude to you again."

He smiled. "One thing you should know about me: I don't take anything to heart. But yeah, I would love it if you would stop acting like you hate my guts. Come on, you know you love me." **(A/N: I know you care. Just shout whenever and I'll be there- Justin Bieber, Baby. LOL)**

Instead of replying, I thought it would just be better if I kept my mouth shut this time. I walked back to our table and noticed Drew and Aly talking to each other. They were both smiling and were in deep conversation. It looked as if they had known each other forever. When Wes and I sat back down, they stopped talking. That was odd.

After school, Aly and I went shopping. We had to buy new outfits for tomorrow night. We couldn't just wear our normal style of clothing. No. We had to go for something completely opposite.

We tried on loads of different outfits. From slutty skirts and shorts to ripped jeans and hoodies. We tried them all. We were just about to give up until we walked past a store with two mannequins wearing the cutest of clothes. One wore a short black tank top with strings coming out from the bottom along with white jeans, grey boots, and black and gold feathered earrings. That's the outfit Aly fell in love with. The other mannequin wore a white sequined tank top with a knee-length floral skirt, black jacket, earrings, and silver bracelets. I couldn't take my eyes off of it. We quickly bought the outfits then left.

While we walked towards our cars, I asked Aly about lunch today. "So...you and Drew seem to get along well."

"Yup. What can I say?" she said a little too quickly.

"So what did you guys talk about?"

"Oh. Nothing much. Just…life."

I didn't bother asking anything else because I knew I wouldn't get answers, so I just dropped the subject all together.

I got home, ate dinner, and then quickly retired to my room. I couldn't believe this was all happening. It all happened so fast too. A week ago I never would've thought myself worthy of even being in Drew's presence. Now, we were friends. I would make sure to change that though.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

I changed into my new clothes then checked myself out in my mirror. My glasses covered up my whole face which really bothered me, so I decided that I would take them off once I got to the club. I applied light makeup like blush, eyeliner, and pink lipgloss then fixed my hair into a side ponytail with a few strands coming out. Once I was finished, I put on track pants and a huge sweatshirt over my clothes then walked downstairs.

"Where are you going?" asked my mom while I grabbed my keys.

"To Aly's house. We have a project, remember?" I sat around the house all day, locked up in my room to act as if I had a ton of research to do in order to make my story believable. Luckily, my mom bought it.

"Did you finish all your chores?" asked my dad, who was sitting on the couch reading a newspaper.

"Yup," I said while popping the p.

"Okay. Just make sure to be home by eleven."

"I will. Bye." I waved.

I got into my car then took off the sweatpants and shirt. I texted Aly to let her know I was on my way to pick her up. Once I did, we jammed to the radio the entire twenty minutes until we reached the club. The outside was packed. It was hard for me to imagine what the inside would be like. I made sure to take off my glasses before locking the car and going inside. There were girls that were literally screaming their throats out for Emblem3. I assumed they didn't get tickets because if they did, they would've been inside two weeks ago.

Inside was a hundred times worse than outside. The space wasn't nearly big enough to hold the amount of people. Every square inch of the building was taken up and more. There were strobe lights, a disco ball, and music blasting at the highest volume possible. Our seats were all the way in the front and since I could barely see as it was, I tripped on almost every single person I walked past. Once we got to the front, it took about five minutes for the show to begin.

A pop song played that was supposed to hype the crowd up and out came Drew, Wesley, and Keaton in that order. They went around the stage and touched people's hands. I almost died when Drew touched mine. I never wanted to wash my hand again.

They started off with a fast song called Curious.

I say bless me with a heart of gold

A positivity and a story to be told

I tripped, fell down through the sky

It's what it took for me to learn how to fly like

Oh yeah let my spirit fly my intentions are not to intoxicate but purify

Give me truth or every time I hear a lie

Joy be the only reason I get teary eyed

Imagine all Lennon had to say to make us want to pray for peace every single day

Keep your money don't want anything to do with it reach your love, heart of gold and I'm never losing this

Curious whatcha gonna do

Lies for words and you find you really don't care at all

I said you really don't care at all

Just curious whatchu gonna do lies for words and you find you really don't care at all

I said you really don't care at all

A few other fast songs came then they went a little slower with a song called Riptide. After that, Drew had a solo called Stranger. All in all, everyone seemed to enjoy themselves especially the band itself.

Everyone started to disperse the minute the band finished their set. As Aly and I were about to leave, someone caught my arm. I turned around and saw it was some guy, probably in his 20's, that was drunk. I tried pulling away, but he wouldn't budge. I could smell his bitter breath which made me want to puke all over him. The guy said, "Hey baby. Don't you want to stay for the after party?"

Aly stood there in horror. I was about to smack the guy with my free hand until someone beat me to it.

The drunk guy fell to the floor, clutching his face and yelping in pain. I looked up and saw that it was Drew who slapped the guy. Could he be any more amazing?

"I suggest you leave unless you want any more of a beating," said Drew raucously. The man ran for his life. "And stay out, you filthy *******" he yelled after him. All I could manage to say was a thank you. "No problem," he replied. "So. You girls busy right now or do you want to go out to eat?"

Just then, Keaton popped out of no where and energetically said, "Yeah. I'm starved," while rubbing his tummy. Oh Keats. He was like a little puppy.

"Sure. We're free," said Aly excitedly. I looked down at my watch. It was already 10:00. What the hey, I thought. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity. They were practically celebrities anyway.

The five of us all went to Olive Garden. I sat next to Wes and Drew and Aly was on the other side of Wes and next to Keaton. I ordered a chicken fettuccine alfredo. "Twinsies!" yelled Drew. "That's my all-time favorite food." I couldn't hold back my laughter. Wes, Aly, and Keaton started getting to know each other while I talked to Drew.

"So how does it feel?" I asked while gorging down a forkful of alfredo. "Being all famous and stuff?"

"To tell you the truth, I don't care about being famous, and I definitely don't care about the money. I just enjoy doing what I love best. Making music and hoping it speaks to others like it does to me. I want others to be inspired by our music as well as jam out to it for fun."

I nodded. "But you probably still love the attention from all the screaming girls right? I mean who wouldn't?" I laughed.

" Yeah. I guess that's another benefit." He smiled.

After Drew paid the bill, we all stood outside, saying our goodbyes. Aly and I hugged all the guys, and I waited for Wes to make some remark about me since he'd been quiet all day, but it never came.

I dropped Aly off and by the time I got home, it was 12:00. Shoot. I'd be in so much more trouble. I made sure to put my gym clothes back on before I opened the front door and, like I expected, my parents were standing there, angry. "I know, I know. I'm late," I said. "But you both should be happy. I was doing a project to boost up my grades."

My parents looked at each other as if they had telepathic communication. Finally, my dad said, "Don't let this become a habit. We don't want you to stay out all night because your brain needs to rest."

I nodded then skipped happily upstairs to my room. Nothing, not even my parents, could ruin this perfect night.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Wesley's POV

I woke up late the next morning in a daze. I didn't feel like getting up, so I just laid on my bed, staring at the ceiling.

Last night's concert was great. The crowd had so much energy. It was an exhilarating experience. Our fanbase was getting bigger day by day.

What made yesterday even better was seeing Chloe. I was still trying to figure her out. She was so sarcastic and clumsy yet strong and independent. She was also pretty weird, but that's what made her even better. I don't know why, but she seemed to hate my guts. I played along with her act though.

Seeing her yesterday made me speechless. Chloe was already pretty, but yesterday her luscious brown hair was tied to the side, and she took off her glasses to show off her dazzling brown eyes. I couldn't even look her in the eye let alone speak to her. God. She was just so damn beautiful.

Austin's POV

I noticed a change in my sister ever since that bowling night. She was always such an introvert. She only focused on her studies and everything else just didn't matter. She always managed to get the best grades and be the best at everything. I'd always secretly wished to be more like her. I myself was an average student. I didn't always get the best grades, and there wasn't anything that I was specifically good at. I didn't feel like putting in effort at school. It was just too much work. Watching Chloe be the best always made me a little upset because I wanted to be that person. Sure, my parents didn't treat her fairly even though she should've been the favorite considering her ambition. But I would trade that any day for having smarts.

Anyway, now Chloe was getting out of her shell. She was making new friends and started getting invited to parties a lot more. Although she wasn't allowed to go to all of them, it was still pretty impressive since she used to be a nobody. Also, I noticed she started to lie. Keaton told me about how she came to their concert. She fooled my parents into thinking she was doing schoolwork though. I guess this drastic personality change was bound to happen sometime though. She had always tried to please our parents, but now, she probably just gave up. Just like I gave up in school.

Chloe's POV

Ever since the night of the concert, I had felt like a new and improved Chloe. Instead of being dull, I became more alive. I started to interact with actual people instead of being cooped up in my room studying. I'm sure my parents weren't so happy with that though. Of course, my parents didn't even know the half of it. They only knew I got invited to a few parties.

I started seeing a lot more of Drew since we all started to hang out. Because of that, I became known at school. I wasn't just the smart girl anymore. I had a completely different life in which I was now popular and made new friends. Also, I started to feel like Drew and I developed some sort of connection. I understood his thoughts about the world and how we should all be at peace with ourselves through balancing the mind, body, and spirit. This connection made it easier to talk to him. I didn't turn red or get shaky anymore. Now, I was the calm, cool, and collected Chloe.

Aly and I were still the best of friends. Usually when people became popular, they forget their old friends and move on with their life. But this was different. Aly was with me when no one else was, and she and I knew everything about each other. She was such a great friend that I would never have been stupid enough to let her go for popularity.

**A/n: So this chapter basically just lets you into the mind of some characters and what they are thinking/feeling at the moment...**

**Make sure to review, follow, and favorite! :)**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Chloe's POV

I sat on the desk in my room, attempting to finish my homework, but failing miserably. I just couldn't concentrate. I tried to relax my mind by going downstairs. I grabbed a couple of cups of strawberry yogurt along with a spoon then planted myself in front of the TV. After watching TV for an hour, I went back upstairs to give my homework another go.

I sat at my desk again and realized I still wasn't in the right state of mind. I logged on to my computer and went on facebook. I scrolled down and noticed Drew was online, so I clicked the button and began to type.

**Me**: Hey :)

**Drew**: Hi. What's up?

**Me**: Attempting to do homework but I just can't

concentrate. HELP!

**Drew:** Lol. Try meditating. Just sit with your

legs crossed, get away from any noise or

distractions, and clear your mind of all thoughts.

**Me:** Dang. U could have been the buddha in

another life. Lol.

**Drew:** Ha-ha :|

**Me:** JK And r u sure this will work?

** Drew:** Positive. I always do it. Now I suggest you get back to work. I wouldn't want to be the cause of your parents angst and fury.

**Me:** *Rolls eyes* Guess ur right. Thnx for the

advice. I'll let u know if it helps. Ttyl

**Drew:** Good luck! :)

I closed my laptop and sat on the wooden floor in my room. I did just as Drew said. I sat on the floor with my legs crossed and tried to clear my mind. Surprisingly, it was pretty easy. Once I cleared my mind, I stayed in that sitting position for a while. Finally, I opened my eyes. I felt so relieved and replenished. I immediately started my homework for the third time, but this time I actually got something done.

I finished my work after a couple of hours then decided to go back downstairs. I was about to open the door to my room when something caught my eye. I noticed my calendar hanging behind the door, marked with red on a certain date, April 4th. How could I be so forgetful? Austin's 17th birthday was coming up soon. I guess I had been so caught up in school and popularity that I had completely forgotten. I immediately opened my laptop again and searched for party ideas.

I knew practically the whole school would have to be invited and also that it had to be outrageous. After I chose decorations and must-haves, I realized someone would have to perform. And what better people to do that than Emblem3!

The next day, while the five of us were chilling after school at Yogurtland **(LOL)**, I asked the guys if they would be willing to perform at Austin's party. "Sure," they all agreed happily.

"Okay. Great." I facepalmed two minutes later. "Ugh! I completely forgot about the venue. Where should the party be at?"

Wes thought for a minute while stuffing his spoon in his mouth then said, "We could do it at my place. I mean it's obviously big enough. Plus, it's also easier for us," he pointed to the three of them. "since all of our instruments and equipment are already there."

"No…" I said. "I wouldn't want to cause you any trouble or anything."

"Seriously, it's fine," he said. I stared at him for a long time, contemplating, before agreeing. Finally, everything was set.

**A/n: I wonder if anything is going to happen at the party...What do ya'll think? Leave a comment and follow/favorite plz :)**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

I sat in history with Mrs. Peters, reading over the chapter since she couldn't be bothered to teach us anything. I was falling asleep while reading about the Russian Revolution when started passing out our now graded tests from last week.

I wasn't exactly confident in my grade. I knew my performance wasn't going to be up to par. The night before the test, I had been exhausted from an overload of work. I decided to sleep for a bit then start studying. The problem was, instead of a nap, I ended up waking up at 5:00 AM. I only had a couple of hours to study which obviously wasn't enough. When I got the test, I only knew about half of the answers. I kind of winged the rest, but I expected to get at least a B.

Mrs. Peters handed me my test faced down. That couldn't be a good sign. I slowly turned it over with my eyes squinted out of fear. A giant D was written in red at the top of my paper. No. That couldn't even be possible.

When the bell rang, I directly went over to Mrs. Peters desk. "Yes Chloe?" she said with an adenoidal voice while typing away on her computer. How I wished I could break that computer!

"Umm…I have a question about my test grade," I said tautly.

She stopped typing and looked up at me with tired eyes. "Look. I'm as shocked about your grade as you are, but there's nothing that I can do about it. That's the grade you deserved. I really hope you don't make it a habit to get these kinds of grades in the future." With that, she went back to her typing.

I sighed and walked out of class. Ok, I thought. I did worse than I expected. But at least the test wouldn't count as that much of my final grade. Yeah. That kind of made me feel better. As long as my parents didn't find out about my grade, I could always bring my average back up.

I was still stressing out about my grade when I saw Wes waving at me across the hall. I waved back with a frown. He sprinted towards me and asked, "What's up?" with a concerned face.

"It's nothing," I replied. "I just didn't do that great on my History exam."

"Aw. First time Princess Chloe got a B?" He asked with fake sympathy.

I glared at him. "First, it was a D. Second, I don't even know why I'm talking to you about this." I turned to walk away.

"Wait," he said while grabbing my wrist. "I was just playing. Come on. Why don't we go to the park or something after school? You know, to get your mind off of things."

I really did need some time to relax so why not? "Fine," I replied.

Wesley's POV

Chloe and I sat on a bench across from a small pond with ducks and fish swimming in it. Her hair was blowing in the breeze as she looked around the park at the little kids playing on the playground.

"So why are you so stressed out?" I asked. "I can see it written all over your face and demeanor. I doubt it's just because of a bad grade."

She turned her head slightly to look at me then sighed. "You're right. It's not just about the bad grade. It's my parents. They put way too much pressure on me. I've been a good student and worked hard my whole life but now…I just can't really handle it anymore. Their expectations are too high for me. If I get a low A, they expect a high A. If I get a high A, they expect a higher one. I will never be good enough for them, and I don't know why."

"I'm sure they're just doing it to help you. They want to see you succeed in life. They love you." Almost as much as me, I added silently.

"If they loved me," she said, her voice starting to quaver. "they would know that enough is enough. I put in 110% of effort into everything that I do. As long as I do my best, they should be proud. But no. They are never satisfied. And you said they love me and want me to succeed, but if that's the case, why do they treat me differently than my siblings? My older sister Britney was never treated like this. She was naturally good at everything. It just came to her easily. She was the favorite until she moved to Chicago to study. Also, she is hot. Like seriously. They say there's no such thing as a beautiful and smart person, but Britney is a walking example. All the guys go crazy for her. But me," she said while tears started to stain her face. "I'll be lucky if I ever even get my first kiss. I have the lowest self-esteem possible and a lot of the reason for that is because my parents have never complimented me in any way, shape, or form." I wanted so badly to tell her how beautiful she really was but kept my mouth shut. She sniffled then continued. "And then there's Austin. He's the best brother I ever could have asked for, but I'm still jealous of him. He gets all of the attention. The good attention. As in, they don't bother him about his grades or anything. He can do whatever the heck he wants and get away with it. If I did half the stuff he did, I'd be grounded for life. That's the type of attention I get. The bad kind."

At this point, she was bawling. She was going to continue, but I stopped her. I grabbed at her and pulled her face on to my chest where she let out all of her emotions into my shirt. When her crying died down, I spoke. "You know, my parents are kind of strict with me and expect me to have good grades too. I have straight A's in school right now only because of them. If they didn't push me, I would've been a slacker for sure. The way I look at it though is that they are motivating me. I need to create a good life for myself and my future family and in order to do that, I have to succeed in school. I can't do that unless I get support form those around me aka my parents. So just look at it that way. They are encouraging you."

"I really can't," she said, wiping away her tears. "I want a good life for myself, but if they think they are encouraging me, they are doing the complete opposite."

"They probably don't think they are doing anything wrong though. You should talk to them."

"I should. But that's not happening anytime soon. I'm too angry with them."

"You're a stubborn one, aren't you?" I laughed.

"Totally," she smiled while sitting upright. "I'm sorry for bringing all of this emotional stuff onto you. It's not your problem."

"Don't worry about it. I'll always have your back."

She smiled. "So Austin's party is on Saturday. Excited to perform?"

"Oh yeah. It's gonna be dope!"

"So I'll probably come over early to help with décor and stuff. Is that fine?"

"Sure," I replied.

"Great," she said while looking off into the distance.

**A/n: Sooo I probably won't update for two weeks... sorry in advance..**

**Remember to comment/follow/favorite :)**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Chloe's POV

It was finally Saturday. I went over to Wes's house early in the morning to get everything ready. Obviously my parents were fine with it. It was for Austin. Drew and Keaton were also there to help. There were some tables set up around the stage decorated with black table and seat covers and red napkins and bows. Red was Austin's favorite color. I set a few candles and a vase with a rose on each table as well to act as centerpieces. Drew and Wes set up red spotlights all around the backyard too.

There were other tables set up for food which consisted of every type of pizza one could imagine: pasta with chicken, fried shrimp, and spaghetti and meatballs. All of which were Austin's favorite foods. Then there was another separate table with sweets like red and black M&M's, licorice, kisses, mints, lollipops, gumballs, gumdrops, rock candy, chocolates, cupcakes, mousse, cream puffs, etc. It was like candy heaven. I had to stop Keaton from trying to sneak some food when I wasn't looking. Bad Keatycat.

We were all so involved with decorating that we had barely spoken. We finished decorating a couple of hours before the party was supposed to start. I lay flat on the grass, exhausted. Drew joined me. "You must really love your brother," he said. "You went all out."

"I'm just that amazing of a sister," I joked.

"I'm sure you are," he winked. I almost swooned.

Just then, my phone buzzed. I slid it open and saw a text from Austin. He thought I was at the library or something to work on an essay. His text read, 'Going to Keat's in a while. Don't wait up for me at dinner.'

'K,' I replied. If only he knew what was coming.

I went upstairs to change into my dress. Wes said his room was up the stairs and to the left. I walked in and was surprised to see it so unusually clean. The whole room was literally perfect. He had a huge library with all types of books, some that I'd never even heard of. Impressive. He also had a few guitars hanging up.

I quickly changed into my outfit. It was a knee-length royal blue dress with black lace on top. I paired it with long, black earrings, a couple of bracelets, and heels. I went over to the mirror, took off my glasses, and put on some foundation, pink blush, eyeliner, blue mascara, and pink lipgloss. I didn't know what to do with my hair, so I just clipped it into a half pony. I was just about done when I heard a knock at the door. "Come in!" I yelled.

Someone walked in, but I wasn't sure who. Without my glasses, it just looked like a blob. Once he got closer, I saw it was Wes. He was wearing a blue dress shirt and suit pants. What a coincidence. We were matching. He also wasn't wearing a hat. That's the first. "Sorry," he said while looking anywhere but at me. "Just needed my tie." He walked over to his closet and grabbed it.

"No problem," I said. He walked over to the mirror and tied it. "How do I look?" I asked.

He turned to look at me and said a small, "Great. What about me?"

I squinted and looked him over once then noticed his tie wasn't in place. I tiptoed and reached up around his neck to redo it. "Perfect," I smiled. He looked at me in a daze for a slight second then turned back around to look at himself.

"Thanks," he mumbled.

I grabbed my black clutch, put my glasses and lipgloss in it, then walked downstairs. I was almost to the bottom of the staircase when I slipped. I braced myself for the fall, but it didn't come. Instead, I was being held. I looked up and saw that Drew grabbed me before I fell. Our faces were literally 2 centimeters apart. "Careful," he said soft-spokenly while placing me firmly on my feet. I didn't know what to say, so I just nodded then walked off towards the living room, my cheeks burning.

I saw Keaton seated on the couch playing videogames. He wore a black dress shirt and pants with a grey vest on top and a tie to match. He looked hot for once instead of cute. I hadn't noticed what Drew was wearing until he sat down next to Keaton. He wore a beige hoodie and jeans. Casual but cute. Make that drop dead gorgeous! I quickly snapped out of my thoughts. Today was about Austin, I reminded myself.

"So Chloe," said Keaton while turning off his game. "Ready to get your party on?"

"You know it," I said while ruffling his hair.

"Not the hair," he whined while trying to fix it.

"Relax. You look fine," I laughed.

** A/N: Sorry for updating so late. School takes up waaay too much of my time. Remember to comment/follow/favorite :) **


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Austin's POV

I drove to Keaton's house since I finally got my license today. I felt so cool driving by myself with the radio turned up. I would've stayed at home with my parents who were probably planning a party for me since today was my birthday, but I just had to show Keaton my new Range Rover.

I pulled into the driveway, got out of my car, and rang the doorbell. There was no answer. I turned the door knob and went inside. It looked like no one was home. I checked around the house to be sure. Nothing. Keaton told me he would be home, but I guess he forgot or something. I was just about to leave when I heard something coming from the backyard. I grabbed whatever I could find and turned the knob for the back door. I was ready with a lamp for whoever was there. I slowly turned the corner in the yard and flinched back, almost dropping the lamp, when I heard a 'SURPRISE!'

There was a huge crowd of people gathered from school. Almost everyone I knew was here. There were lights, decorations, and food everywhere. I just stood there awkwardly in a state of shock, trying to hide the lamp and act normal, so that I didn't look like a complete idiot. It failed. Chloe ran up to me and hugged me, saying 'Happy Birthday lil' bro!' I smiled and hugged her back. "You planned this?"

"Yeah. Who else would? You're reaction was the best by the way. I got it all on tape just in case you want to see it," she said mockingly.

I narrowed my eyes. "Maybe later..."

"Lighten up," she said. (I'm not sure if the pun was intended). "Go mingle. Maybe you'll finally find a girlfriend."

"Ha-ha," I said flatly.

She went off to talk to Aly and some other people. Thankfully, everyone went back to being normal. Maybe if I was lucky, this embarrassing moment of mine would be erased from their minds.

I was pretty impressed with all of the work Chloe put into the party. Everything was red, my favorite color, and there was Italian food, also my favorite, plus desserts. I still wanted Keaton to see my new car but decided that it could wait. First, I had to devour all of the food that was calling me.

Chloe's POV

I was talking to Aly and my new friends Rosie and Tori when I heard tapping on the mic. I looked up and saw Drew on the stage."If everyone could please quiet down…thanks. So, we all know why we're here. It's this dope guys birthday today!" he pointed at Austin, who was standing on stage next to him. Everyone cheered. "If there's anyone who'd like to say some words about Austin, please step up now…or forever hold your peace." Everyone laughed. A few of Austin's friends went up and spoke about him, even Keaton. They talked about the crazy stuff he does in school, how he acts like he has swag, and how his doppelganger is Justin Bieber. I couldn't agree more.

After they were done, Austin spoke. "You know, these past 17 years have been completely amazing. I'm blessed to have such a great family. I'm especially thankful for my sister, Chloe. Come on up here, Chloe!" Everyone's eyes were on me as I walked up on the stage next to Austin. I stood there nervously while he continued. "This girl is the main reason for my happiness. She's always there for me no matter what. She's also such a great role model. She's a motivated student and is everything I wish I was. She is the best sister and an even better friend. I love you Chloe." He gave me a hug. The girls "Aww'd" and everyone clapped.

"Love you too," I whispered. I almost ended up crying. Gosh I was so emotional, but Austin had never said any of that stuff to me before. Now, he said it basically in front of the whole school. It was so sweet.

After the speeches, Emblem3 performed. They sang originals and also covers like 'Secrets,' 'Just the Way You Are,' and 'Forever Young.' Everyone jammed out including myself. I was in the front row along with Austin, Aly, Rosie, Tori, and Austin's friends.

I caught Drew looking in my direction while singing at one point and smiled to myself. I saw my friends gazing at the boys. It bothered me a lot. Especially when I saw Aly looking at Drew with a love-struck expression. He was mine, and she knew it. I decided to let it go. I was probably hallucinating or overreacting.

A short while after their performance, Austin cut his cake. It was three-tiered: the bottom layer had a zebra print, the middle was solid red, and the top was also zebra print with the number '17' in red. There were also stars on sticks placed all around the cake. It was pretty cool. After we sang 'Happy Birthday,' and he blew out the candles, I took a can of silly string and sprayed it all over him. He grabbed it from me and started spraying me until the can was empty.

The party ended around midnight. I had a blast, and Austin did too. He took Keaton with him for a joy ride in his new car while Aly, Drew, Wes, and I cleaned everything up. We were bascially done when Aly and Drew both had to leave.

Now, it was just Wes and I. I sat on the stage while he put away some chairs. "Thanks," I said to him.

He furrowed his brows. "For what?"

"Everything. Letting me use your backyard, helping me set up, performing. Thanks for all of that."

"It's no big deal," he said while climbing up next to me.

"Yeah it is. I doubt anyone else would've done all of this for me. You're amazing," I said, looking into his eyes.

"Aw shucks, Chloe," he said in a Texan accent. I laughed. "You're pretty amazing too," he said seriously.

I stared at him for a long time. He wouldn't look directly at my face. I noticed he'd been doing that a lot lately. It was starting to bother me. "Wes," I said. "Am I that ugly that you can't even look at me anymore?"

His head immediately shot towards me.

"If that's the case," I said. "I can leave right n-" I was cut off when his face crashed into mine. He kissed me. It took me a while to register what was happening. What was I doing? I liked Drew. Not Wes. I immediately pushed him away. We looked at each other, and there was an awkward silence. Thankfully, that silence was broken when Austin and Keaton came.

"What's wrong with you two?" asked Austin.

"N-nothing," I said. "I…gotta go. Bye Keaton…Wes," I said, making eye contact with the ground.

"Bye," replied Keaton.

"I'm spending the night here. Is that cool?" asked Austin.

"Sure.." I replied. I rushed out of the yard as fast as possible and could barely fall asleep when I got home.

**A/N: I decided to be nice and update twice. Your welcome :)**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Chloe's POV

I still couldn't believe what happened that night after Austin's party. Wes just grabbed me and kissed me. Ew. Why did my first kiss have to be with him out of all people? It was so weird. I never even thought he liked me. I had an odd feeling in my chest when he kissed me. Maybe…maybe I actually felt something for him.

But I so badly wanted Drew. He was everything I could have wished for and more. Wes wasn't even my type. He was more like a badboy even though he didn't really look like it. Drew probably seemed like the badboy of the group because of his tattoos (arm, leg,chest, wrist), but in reality, he was just a big teddy bear that you could cuddle with. Ugh! Why did life have to be so complicated? I was torn between both of them.

It was so awkward seeing Wes now. We all recently went out to the movies as a group and saw the movie 'Pitch Perfect.' Wes and I awkwardly exchanged greetings and could barely look each other in the eye. It was hard for me to even focus on the movie since we had to sit right next to each other. I scooted away from him as far as possible, but it wasn't enough.

I knew Aly noticed how weird we were acting. She even asked me about it later, but I told her it was nothing. I couldn't let Aly know anything about Wes and I because I knew she would probably think it was okay for herself to move on to Drew. That was not okay.

How could I like two different guys at the same time? I was one messed up person. I pondered over this for a few days and came to the conclusion that I would have to pick one sooner or later, so why not sooner?

I chose Drew. He was the safest person to pick. I knew he would never break my heart or hurt me in anyway, but I wasn't so sure about Wes. He still struck me as a player. That was that. One of these days, I would tell Drew how I actually felt for him.

Wesley's POV

I mentally smacked myself for kissing Chloe that night. How could I have let my guard down and been so stupid? We were just developing a close bond, and I had to ruin it by doing that. This girl seriously drove me to do the dumbest of things.

It wasn't exactly my fault though. She was talking rubbish, saying that I thought she was ugly or something when in reality, I couldn't look at her because I was too scared I would do something that I would regret. And I did.

When we went to the movies last week, she barely even made eye contact. Was she that disgusted by me? She couldn't be. She wasn't that type. We sat next to each other, and I tried to control myself from kissing her again.

She was just so different from the mainstream girls. I know beauty is only skin deep, but she was smokin' hot for a "nerd", and she knew exactly how to reply to my comments. She was also unpredictable. That was good since it made me want her even more.

It was sad to see her think so low of herself. Her parents were horrible to not treat her right. She deserved the most love. She was beautiful inside and out, and her beauty radiated off of her glowing skin.

I knew from that first day we met that she was the one I wanted, and I was determined to get her now more than ever. I wasn't sure what I had to do to open up her eyes and make her see that we were meant to be, but I was willing to do anything.

**A/N: I know. Short. But the next chapter will be emotional and stuff so be prepared. Comment/favorite/follow.**


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Chloe's POV

I woke up at 11:00 AM, brushed my teeth and hair, then walked drowsily downstairs. I had a huge headache. I walked into the kitchen, grabbed the carton of orange juice, and chugged until I noticed my parents staring at me from the living room. I slowly closed the carton and put it away.

I went back upstairs to change into something when I got a text from Aly, reminding me that we were supposed to hang out today. Shoot. I totally forgot. I texted her back saying that I had a headache and that I would at least try to make it.

I took a couple of pills of Advil and lay down on my bed for a while. I jolted awake when my parents yelled at me to get downstairs. I slowly walked downstairs, still trying to wake myself up completely. Their next sentence woke me up loud and clear. "How did you get a D on your History test and not tell us?!" yelled mom. I literally saw a vein popping out of her forehead.

I was sick and tired of all of this. "Tell you?! You guys would have exploded just like you are doing right now."

"Did you think we wouldn't find out? I'm sure you're smarter than that," said dad stentorianly.

"I knew you would. But I just didn't care. Okay? I don't care anymore."

"Did you even think about how this would affect your GPA? It's going to drop now. How are you expecting to be valedictorian?" said mom. "And all of these parties you've been going to. It's crazy. You aren't allowed to go to those anymore. You're going to have to work hard to bring your grades back up."

"What?" I couldn't believe this." Being valedictorian isn't what I want. I don't care about my grades. I never did. You both pushed me my entire life, and frankly, I'm freakin' tired of putting up with you both! I don't want to be 'smart' okay? I want to be loved. I bet you both don't even know what that is," I shook my head.

"You know, I have felt nothing but hate from the both of you since I was born. I don't know what I did, but I'm not going to apologize for it. You two don't even deserve to be parents the way you've been treating me. So I would greatly appreciate it if you would just leave me _alone_ already!"

"That is not how you talk to us, young lady," said dad sternly.

"I will talk to you however I want. It's a free country, and I'm a free person. You can't control me anymore," I said, fearlessly looking into their eyes.

My mom was furious. She raised her hand and smacked my face so hard I thought my head would fall off. Instead, my cheek became numb. Tears spilled from my eyes as I ran out of the house."Wait!" mom called after me. But I didn't listen.

Austin's POV

I was in the kitchen the entire time my parents and Chloe were fighting. I wanted to intervene, to stand up for Chloe, but I didn't know what to say. When my mom slapped her, and she ran off crying, I'd had enough. I walked straight up to both of my parents and said, "She's right. You two don't deserve to be parents. How could you even touch her?" I looked at my mom, disgusted.

"Austin, don't," warned my dad.

"Don't what?" I asked. "Tell you the truth? Fine. I won't. You two are the best parents a child could ever have. Forcing their children into doing things, hurting them physically and emotionally, being unfair, and thinking it's all okay. You should just get the 'Parent's of the Year Award' for how great you are," I said sarcastically. "Does that make you feel better about yourselves?" I asked hoarsely.

I ran upstairs to my room and left my parents downstairs in shock. I texted Chloe that everything would be okay and that she should come back home, but I never got a reply.

Chloe's POV

I drove to Aly's house while crying hysterically along with that headache that didn't want to go away. I needed my best friend to comfort me right now. I finally stood up to my parents yet nothing changed. I'm sure they were still going to treat me badly no matter what.

I parked in her driveway and grabbed a few napkins to wipe my face a little then knocked on the door. She should have been home. We were supposed to meet up here to hang out anyway. I turned the door knob and went inside. It was odd that the door was unlocked. Maybe she left it open just in case I showed up.

I walked upstairs and turned right. The door to her room was half open, and I heard voices coming from inside. It was a guy, but I was 100% sure it wasn't her dad. I slowly opened the door a little and saw Aly and Drew. He was holding her and looked like he was about to kiss her.

I gasped and walked backwards in horror. Aly must've heard me because she freed herself from his arms and ran towards me. "Chloe, it's not what it looks like. Please just listen to me."

"How could you?" I asked disgusted, tears forming in my eyes once again.

"Just listen," she begged.

I shook my head and ran back outside towards my car. Aly ran after me, but there was nothing she could do. I didn't want to speak to her.

Aly's POV

I ran after Chloe but couldn't catch up. I went back to my room, feeling completely guilty. I should've told her about me and Drew sooner. I was a horrible friend.

"What was that all about?" asked Drew.

"Oh nothing…" I lied. He grabbed me by the waist with his muscular arms and pulled me close then kissed me.

Chloe's POV

First my parents now my best friend. The people that I should be able to trust and depend on but apparently I couldn't. Everyone in my life was a backstabber.

I was crying even more. It all made sense now. Aly and Drew always talked to each other secretly and had special eye contact. It wasn't me that Drew was staring at at the party. It was Aly. She was standing right next to me. She always got awkward and defensive when I talked about him. How could I have been so stupid? I hate my parents, I hate Aly, and I hate li-

Crash! Suddenly, everything became a blur.

**A/N- *gasp* What'll happen next? Comment/favorite/follow and maybe you'll find out ;)**


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

I slowly opened my eyes but could barely see a thing. It was too dark. Where was I? I tried sitting upright but felt a sharp pain go through my leg. "Ow!" I screeched. Someone rushed to help me and turned on a lamp that was on the table beside me. It was my mom.

What happened yesterday? All I remembered was leaving Aly's house angrily because she was with Drew. The bad memories all came flooding back to me in a flash, and I became angry again.

My mom looked sympathetically at me. I was still mad at her, so I glared then turned to my side while yelping in pain. She helped me lie down. "What happened yesterday?" I asked, still not very happy.

"You got into a car accident," she said sadly while looking down. "You were lucky to have even survived. Someone ran a red light, and you just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time." She wiped away a tear from her cheek.

I was really in a car accident? I didn't remember anything about that. I saw the sadness in my mom's eyes then felt a little compassion for her. Maybe I still did have an ounce of love for her even after what she and my dad put me through. Speaking of which, where was he? I looked around the room and saw him snoring away on the small chair in the corner. Typical…

The pain in my leg was getting worse. "Why does my leg hurt?" I asked, afraid of what the answer would be. What if they amputated it? What if I'd never walk again? I hyperventilated in my mind.

"You didn't get any serious injuries besides the one on your leg. You'll have to use crutches for a few weeks…"

Thank God! I breathed a sigh of relief.

I fell asleep after a while and woke up multiple times. My sleeping pattern was way off.

I woke up for the fourth time and saw my dad, mom, and Austin. They all stared at me once they noticed I was awake. Austin walked out of the room while my parents came closer to me.

"Chloe," said my dad softly while putting his hand on mine. "We realize we've been completely unfair with you. And we're sorry. Our eyes have been opened up, and we really do realize the error of our ways. Please find it in your heart to forgive us both."

I looked away. "Why now? Why are you suddenly apologizing now?"

"Honey," said my mom while trying not to cry. "You could've lost your life…We could've lost you forever."

"You should've been happy and thrown a party…" I replied monotonously.

"Chloe! Do you really think we hate you?" asked mom. I nodded. "We don't."

"Then why? Why do you guys treat me the way you do?" I asked wobbly.

My mom sighed. "When Britney was born, she had this light in her. She was always so energetic and lively. She picked up on things really fast. She was a natural at basically everything," said mom. I narrowed my eyes. I knew how perfect Britney was. I'd heard it my entire life. "When you were born, it was different. You were always so quiet and in a shell. You never tried to learn. We thought you wouldn't grow up to be the same as Brtiney, so we tried to force you into learning things."

"I was just a kid," I spat. "That obviously didn't characterize me."

"We know that," said dad. " But at the time, it really bothered us."

"Anyway," continued mom. "When we forced you to learn, you ended up picking things up fairly easily too. You just needed that extra push. So I guess we continued to do that to you, and it just happened to stick until now. We didn't realize what it was doing to you, Chloe. We really are sorry."

"But why is Austin allowed to do whatever he wants whenever he wants?"

"Austin came a couple of years after you. It wasn't enough time. We were still trying to teach you new things when he came along, so we kind of forgot about him. We gave you a lot of the attention and just left him. We felt bad about that, and that's why we treat him in a push-over type of way now which probably wasn't the smartest thing to do," said dad.

"So do you forgive us?" asked mom.

I sighed. No matter how badly I wanted to say no, I couldn't. "How could I not? You're still my parents, and I can't hate you." I hugged them."I'm sorry too for acting like a brat."

"We don't blame you at all. We kind of deserved it. From now on, we won't push you into things." I smiled. For once, something good was happening in my life.

**A/N: Soo... I guess that explains a lot... **

**Btw I really want to know who you guys picture as Chloe, Aly, and Britney. Tell me in the comments and make sure to follow and favorite :)**


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

Austin walked back into the hospital room after my parents went to the cafeteria. "Is the coast clear?" he whispered while tiptoeing inside.

"I love how you can always manage to make me smile," I said.

He laughed. "That's what brothers are for. You can thank me later." He sat next to me. "But seriously, I'm glad you're fine. I was worried when you left the house crying."

"You were there?" I asked. I hadn't even noticed.

"Yup. And when you left, I managed to give mom and dad a peace of my mind."

"Aww. I feel loved. You stood up for me. Thanks Austin. You are seriously the coolest, nicest brother in the world," I said while hugging him.

"I know. I know." He looked elated. I'm sure his ego was overflowing, and my compliments were to blame for that, but I didn't care. He deserved to be praised.

"So what's up with you and Wes?"

"Me and Wes? Psh. Nothing. We're just friends. What are you talking about?" I tried to play it cool.

"I know you well enough to know that you're lying."

"Seriously, it's nothing. I'd rather not talk about it."

"Ok fine," he backed off. "But just for your information, Keaton told me Wes likes you. A lot."

I kind of established that fact when he kissed me…

"Ha! You're blushing!" said Austin while doing a small victory dance while walking out of the room. I turned slowly to face the mirror and saw my cheeks painted a deep hue of crimson. Did I really have feelings for Wes?

The doctors came in a few times just to check up on me and said that I would be able to go home tomorrow. Finally, I could sleep comfortably on my own soft bed.

I had a few visitors throughout the day. Neighbors, some friends from school, and even my parent's coworkers. Even Aly came. I couldn't stand to speak to her though. Although I wasn't sure where my feelings for Drew stood right now, I was still angry. She attempted to talk to me, but I ignored her. I couldn't believe I had ever trusted or befriended her.

Drew later came separately and handed me flowers and wished a quick recovery for me. It was sad to see him. He didn't even realize that the fight between Aly and I was over him. I guess that was a good thing though because that would've been awkward. But I noticed when he came that I didn't have that tingly feeling in my chest anymore. Had I finally gotten over my long time crush after so many years?

I was about to fall asleep again when I heard Wes at the door. "Hey Chloe," he said softly. I turned around, still feeling a little pain in my leg, but I managed to face him. He walked towards me, holding flowers, a card, chocolates, and a small teddy bear. My heart sort of melted at the sight of him. He wasn't wearing anything special, just jeans and a t-shirt, but his face just seemed different. It had a new glow to it that I'd never seen before.

He set the things on the table and sat next to me. "How are you feeling?" He asked while rubbing my arm.

"I've been better," I replied.

"How did this even happen?" He asked concerned.

"You don't wanna know…"

We sat in silence for a while before I broke it. " So we need to talk about that night."

"What's there to talk about?" He looked into my eyes. "I'm into you Chloe," he said while grabbing my hand and holding it firmly in his. "Like for real. I can't get enough of you, and I want to be with you. I don't know if you feel the same way, but can't you just give us a chance? Do you not feel the connection between us?"

"I do. I know there's somehing there but…I don't know." I didn't know what was stopping me. I knew Drew and I would never work out anymore. I didn't even feel anything for him when he came to visit earlier. "But why do you even like me?" I asked. It was hard to believe someone like him going for a girl like me.

"You're beautiful. Look at yourself. You still manage to look good even in a hospital gown. And your personality attracts me. You got me hooked, line, and sinker since the day we met."

"I'm not beautiful. Britney is."

"Britney? Forget Britney! You're way hotter."

"How would you know? You've never seen her."

"I don't need to see her to know that YOU are the most beautiful girl in the world," he leaned in closer, his voice as soft as a feather.

I blushed. "But I don't know if we would work out. We lead totally different lives and have different personalities. I don't know if you'd be able to handle me and my emotions."

"I've handled it this long without a problem."

"But-"

For the second time in my life, I was cut off when Wes grabbed my face and kissed me. Again. He pulled away after a bit but kept his face a centimeter away from mine, our foreheads and noses touching. "If you say but again, I might just change my mind and forget about this whole thing," he said huskily before sitting back and acting as if nothing just happened.

"Okay, first, you're such a tease." He stuck his tongue out at me. "Second… fine. I'll give us a try. But if you turn out to be a player like I suspected, I will personally come over to your house and give you a black eye."

"Should I be scared princess? I'm much stronger than you," he leaned back on the hospital bed, a smile playing on his lips.

"That's what you think," I challenged him."You haven't seen me angry and in action."

He just smirked. Obviously his mind was somewhere else.

We talked for a while, and I thanked him for the gifts. Before he left, he made me promise we would go out on a date the second my leg healed.

After he left, Austin came in again. "So Wes was here. Did anything...happen?" He wiggled his brows.

"I'll let you figure that out for yourself," I said, amazed at how he was so interested in my love life.

**A/N: Awwwwwww I love Wes and Chloe 33333**

**What would be their ship name? Wesloe? Rofl nope. Chesley? Nah. I'm not good at this...**

**Anywho, comment/follow/favorite.**

**Also, tell me what you guys think will happen after this? Like where do you all want the story to go? **


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

I went back home the next day using my new crutches. At first, it was kind of hard, but I got used to it after a while. My leg still hurt like crazy, but that would wear off eventually. I just had to give it time.

I had to miss a few days of school just to recover a bit, so Wes brought over my homework for me. Sometimes he even brought Keatycat.

It was weird that we were now together. I'd never known what it was like to be loved by someone, but now that I did, it felt amazing! He was like my new best friend. He understood me completely and was there for me. Sometimes, he stayed to "study" with me which was basically code for goofing off. We would actually just sit and talk to each other. School, life, our personalities, news. We talked about anything. Once, he was lying next to me and asked, "So why are you and Aly still mad at each other? I don't get it." I was over Drew, but Aly still betrayed my trust. How could she have kept such a huge secret from me? I couldn't tell Wes anything about that, though. He would freak if he found out I liked Drew, his best friend.

"She betrayed my trust. So I'd rather not be her friend," I said angrily.

"Well, what did she do?" He pressed on.

"Nothing…it's complicated," I said quickly. "Can you just let it go?"

"Fine. But you know you'll have to face her eventually."

"Yeah well as long as it's not now, I'm fine. I'm so stressed out. It's crazy," I said while snuggling into his shirt.

He put an arm around me. "Don't be. You'll do fine on your exams. Trust me." He kissed my forehead.

My parents weren't lying when they said they would stop being annoying. They seriously backed off and let me do what I wanted. They didn't force me into doing my homework, but I still decided that I had to. It was almost the end of the year, and I couldn't stand to have missing marks. They were also being extrememly nice. It was probably because they felt guilty. They always brought me things to comfort me like pillows and food even when I didn't ask. They spoke softly and reassuringly and helped me walk with my crutches. They also started to have more of a hold on Austin. They were trying to get him to be at least a little bit more attentive in school. As long as they didn't go overboard like they did with me, I didn't mind. The minute they would start to yell at him, I would be there to stop them.

"I don't get it," I said. "How do you do so well if you barely even try? No offense."

"I don't know," Wes shrugged. "I'm a natural. And I'm good-looking. I've got the whole package, girl." He faked popping his collar. I shoved him off the bed. "Ow!"

"That oughta bring your ego down a few notches," I laughed.

We were interrupted when someone shoved my door open. My parents and Austin were out though, so who was it? I turned and was met with none other than… Britney.

"Chloe!" she screeched, while hugging me."Ohmigosh, how are you? I heard about what happened and knew that I had to come and see you." That was weird. She never came to visit. Not even on holidays. She always claimed to be busy with school.

"Heyy Britney…" I said awkwardly. Don't get me wrong. I was happy to see my sister but not with Wes here. What if he got hypnotized by Britney's beauty? He was, afterall, a guy with temptations. The way that she was dressed didn't help the situation. She had booty shorts, the super short ones, and a tight corset-like top to match.

"Um.. Britney, this is Wes," I gestured towards where he was sitting on the floor. "Wes, that's Britney, my sister."

" 'Sup" he said, looking at her with a bored expression.

"Hi," she said perkily. "It's nice to meet one of Chloe's friends besides Aly."

He just rolled his eyes. "Well, I've gotta go Chloe." He came up beside me and cupped my cheek with his hand then leaned in for a deep kiss. "See ya tomorrow," he smiled warmly then walked out of the room.

"Is he your boyfriend?" asked Britney confused.

"Why do you sound so shocked?" I asked.

"I'm not shocked. I'm happy for you. Why didn't you tell me about him?"

I shrugged. I honestly had no idea why I never bothered to tell her.

"Anyways, I'm only staying for a couple of days. I've gotta get back to school, you know?"

"Yup. Do mom, dad, or Austin even know you're here?"

"Nope. I was hoping to surprise them," she smiled but with a distant look in her eyes. "Enough about me. How are you feeling?"

"Just fine. I still can't believe I got into an accident though."

"Yeah..Are mom and dad still being harsh on you though? I mean, you have enough going on as it is."

"No. Actually, we reached an agreement. Thank God for that."

We continued to talk until we heard the front door open.

Britney helped me walk downstairs and my parents and Austin gasped when they saw us.

"Britney. What a surprise!" said my mom.

Britney hugged her and dad. "I'm glad to see you too."

Austin cleared his throat. "And what about me?"

"I missed you too Austy!" She ran over to hug him and ruffled his hair.

We sat down for dinner, spaghetti (and it'd be all heady Lol) and meatballs. "Why did you decide to come now?" asked dad.

"Can't I just come over to see you guys? I mean we're all family," she said nervously.

"Of course, sweetie," said mom. "What your father means is why did you wait so long to come and visit? We've been worried about you."

"Well obviously because of Chloe's injury…But also…" I could tell she was hiding something. She didn't have the confidence to tell us whatever it was though. "The truth is…" she looked around nervously. "I…finally got homesick. You know, I was all about being independent, but now I've realized how much I miss you all." She continued devouring her food.

Something wasn't right. She would never come this far just because of something like homesickness. I'm sure there was more to her story than she was letting on.

**A/N: I know. It's been forever since I last updated. Im soooorrrryyyy! And I only updated one chapter this time. Again. Sorry. But I'm not exactly sure where i'm going with this whole Britney thing yet so bear with me. **

**What do you guys think Britney was going to say? Comment/favorite/follow :)**


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: I just realized that I uploaded the wrong chapter for chapter 17. Oops. I just fixed it so you might wanna go back and read that first before you begin this chapter..**

Chapter 18

Aly's POV

I tried to get Chloe to speak to me, but every time was a complete fail. She was just done with me. I needed to apologize to her, but I guess she didn't want to hear it.

Meanwhile, at school, Drew and I were officially known as a couple. More people started to pay attention to me because of that. Girls hated me and guys started to notice me. I didn't let any of that bother me though. I still needed Chloe before I could officially be happy about me and Drew.

I felt terrible that she got into an accident. I kind of blamed myself for it. I mean, she did get into it after she left my house crying. I wish I went after her though. Maybe it all could've been avoided. There was no use in staying in the past though.

Drew was completely oblivious. I didn't tell him about mine and Chloe's fight because she would have murdered me. Plus, I think he would've been a little bit weirded out. He told me that he only took her as a friend. Guys always got weird when they found out about a girl liking them. He just thought we were going through a phase or something and would eventually get over it. I really hoped that would be true.

Drew drove me home after school and said that he would visit Chloe at home. "Good luck," I told him. I doubt she would want to speak to him. That was probably my fault though.

Drew's POV

Aly wished me luck before I drove off to Chloe's. I don't know why though. Chloe wasn't mad at me. Just at Aly for who knows what reason. Aly was imperfectly perfect.

A brown/blonde- haired girl, Britney apparently, who was smoking hot (not as hot as Aly), let me in and told me where Chloe's room was. I walked in and saw Austin and Chloe talking. "Hey," smiled Austin while we bumped fists. Chloe just looked right through me. "I'll leave you both alone.." Austin walked out.

"How have you been doing, Chloe?" I asked while eyeing the cast around her leg.

"Just fine," she replied flatly.

"So when will you be back in school? Aly misses you a lot."

"In a couple of days."

"Can I ask why you two hate each other?" She shook her head. "Since when did our conversations get so weird?"

She looked at me with icy eyes. "You just don't get it, do you? Our fight is…_was_ over you." I was confused. "Gosh Drew, do I have to paint you a picture? I liked you."

I was taken aback. "Really? I thought you knew we were just friends…"

"You didn't really act like it," she said. "You're such a flirt. I actually thought you liked me. But when I went to Aly's house and saw you two…I got mad."

"And then you got into the accident…" It all made sense now. "Gosh Chloe, I'm sorry." I rubbed the back of my neck. I really was. I flirted with everyone. It was part of my personality. I thought she knew that. She knew basically everything else.

"It's not a big deal, Drew. And you don't have to feel awkward talking to me. I'm over it. I'm with Wes if you hadn't already known." She smiled as she thought about him.

I smiled. I knew Wes had a crush on her. I asked him once, and he got all weird about it. He managed to trip down the stairs and fall flat on his face.

"So are we cool?" I asked.

"Yup.."

"You'd better make up with Aly fast then. I think she'll be willing to dump me in order to stay friends with you."

She laughed. "I'll think about it."

Britney's POV

I came here for a purpose. I had my chance to spill the beans yesterday, but I just couldn't make myself do it. I was leaving early tomorrow morning, so I had one last chance to break the news today. Why did it have to be so hard?

My thoughts were interrupted when Chloe limped into my room (aka the guest room)."Hey Brit…" she said slowly while inspecting my face.

"Hey," I replied impassively. She sat beside me, just staring with those brown orbs of hers. "What?" I got up and touched my face self-consciously, pacing around the room.

"What were you going to say last night? I know that's not all that you had to say. You were holding back on something. What is it?"

She knew me way too well. "Chloe, have you ever felt like you weren't good enough? That you always had to live up to these expectations people had for you? That one day you would just do something terrible that you may regret forever since it's not part of the plans everyone has for you?"

She looked at me wearily. "Brit, that's the story of my life."

"But you don't understand Chlo. Your life is great. I wish that I was in your shoes right now."

Her jaw dropped. "Are you kidding me? My life has been hell. You're the perfect one. Perfect mind, perfect body, perfect grades." She spoke with disgust."I've always wanted to be you. Everyone adores you. You have a million guys drooling over you just when you walk past them. How could you ever want _my_ life?" She seemed somewhat angry now.

"Because you're you!" I yelled. "My life was chosen for me even before I knew how to talk. All of my goals were already set and in motion before I even got into high school. Just because I have good grades and looks doesn't mean anything. I never had a real life. What good is having those things if I have to be puppeteered all the time? And guys? I don't like all of the attention that I get most of the time. Sometimes, I wish they would just leave me alone."

She rolled her eyes. "Wow. You are just ungrateful. You have everything that every girl wants to have, and you still manage to complain." She stood up, obviously angry and about to leave.

"I'm pregnant!" I yelled. I couldn't keep it in any longer. I looked up at Chloe, waiting to see her reaction.

"What?" She asked.

"I'm pregnant," I repeated, looking at the floor since I was completely ashamed with myself.

"But- how?"

"I'd rather not explain that process to you…"

"No. I mean how did that even happen? Whose the dad? When did you find out?" Her questions came out in a rush.

"Sit down," I told her. She did as I said. "Well, I was really stressed out with all of these issues I just told you about. I was sick and tired of listening to mom and dad and following their plans for my future. So I took my roommate's advice and went to let off some steam at a club. I managed to get some alcohol with the help of a fake ID and got completely drunk. All I really remember is that this guy came up to me and asked me to dance. We did for a while and then he grabbed at me and kissed me. I was drunk, so I guess I just played along. After that, it's kind of a blur. But I woke up in a hotel room with a hangover. I didn't know that I was pregnant until a few weeks later. I kept vomiting and when I went to the doctor, I found out."

"So you don't even know who the guy is?" asked Chloe.

I shook my head. "And I don't think I will find out any time soon." I felt miserable, but at least I got this off of my chest.

"How many weeks are you?"

"Six. That's probably why you can't tell."

"Wow. So I'm going to be an aunt… That's amazing!"

I smiled. At least she managed to look on the bright side. I mean, I would obviously keep the baby. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I killed a new creation of life. But I still didn't know how I would break this to my parents. This would put all of their plans for me down the drain.

**A/n: WOW was that a shock or what? **

**Comment/follow/fav if you want me to continue...**


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Chloe's POV

We were all seated in the living room, watching Law and Order: SVU. I used my "eye-language" to tell Britney that now was the time to break it to the rest of the family. It was now or never. It was a commercial, so I turned down the volume. I could see how nervous Britney was as she started clearing her throat and speaking. "Mom, dad.."

"Yeah, Brit?"

"I have to tell you all something. The reason I came here was to tell you guys that…" They all stared at her, anticipating what she was going to say next. "I'm pregnant," she sighed.

I braced myself for everyone's reaction. Austin spoke first. "You're serious?" he asked. She nodded. He had a straight face. I couldn't tell what he was thinking.

"Britney, how could you not tell us something like this from before?" asked my mother. She put her hand on her forehead and seemed in shock."How could this happen?"

My dad seemed angry. "Who did this? Whose responsible for getting my little girl pregnant?"

Britney explained the story to them. They seemed to take it better than I expected. Maybe it's because of all of the previous drama we had. Who knows? Anyway, they asked Britney what she was planning on doing now. She wouldn't be able to handle taking care of a baby and going to school at the same time. The resolution was that she would finish up this semester in Chicago then come back here and attend a community college. After the baby's birth, my parents would take care of him or her while she finishes up her school.

After this whole conversation, my parents went to bed, probably a little stressed out with all that's happened. So it was just the three of us sitting on the couch.

"What are you thinking about?" asked Britney to Austin.

"Nothing.. Just, how could you let this happen to yourself?"

"It's not like she planned this, Austin," I said. "Things just have a funny way of working out."

"I thought you had morals. You always said you'd stay pure no matter what. Even if all those guys would try to change your mind."

"I know!" she said. Tears formed in her eyes. "I know I said all of those things. I don't know what happened to me, but I'm not proud of this. I wanted to be a good example for the both of you, but I guess I failed. You're disgusted with me, and I don't blame you. I'm not perfect."

"Brit, don't worry about it," I said. "You're still a good example. You just happened to make a bad decision. But you'll learn from this. And Austin, I know you're trying to be an overprotective brother, but you can't be angry with her. Technically, it's not her fault. And it's not like a lot of bad came out from all of this. At least you'll get to be an uncle."

"Yeah. I guess," he smiled. "But, as soon as you move back in here, I'm keeping a close eye on you," he said to Britney. We all hugged each other. It was just like old times.

Britney's flight was early the next morning. We all said our goodbyes as she boarded the plane. I couldn't wait until she would come back in a couple of months.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

Chloe's POV

It was Monday. My leg was still healing, but I was okay enough to go to school. I obviously wasn't in any condition to drive though, so Austin drove me.

When I got to school, I was bombarded by people asking if I was okay. It was more people than usual. I assured everyone that I was fine then limped with my crutches to my locker. I tried opening my locker, but dropped my crutches while doing so. I was flustered, but just as I was about to bend down to pick them up, someone else already did. I looked up and saw Aly handing them back to me. "Thanks," I said.

We just stood there until we both spat out, "Sorry!"

"You shouldn't be sorry," said Aly. "Everything was my fault. I should have told you about Drew and I."

"But I never even bothered to listen to you," I said.

We hugged each other. "We'll talk about it during lunch," said Aly. I agreed.

A few classes went by, and I hardly even noticed. I was too stressed out to pay attention. Finals were almost here, and I was going to break down.

I was relieved when it was lunch time. Aly and I sat together and sent off Wes and Drew to eat by themselves. They objected at first until they saw our glares which sent them running off to a far table in the corner.

"I don't even know where to start," sighed Aly. "Okay so Drew and I are actually family friends. Our dads worked together at some company, and we invited them over a few times in the past. We got along really well and even went out a few times, but it was nothing serious. Anyway, I started coming here 2 years ago and ran into him. We kind of kept our distance, though, until he and Wes started eating with us. And yeah… we just started to get more serious all of a sudden."

"Wow. But you knew I liked him, so why didn't you say anything?"

"I don't know…it's not like I had dibs or anything. Plus, I knew you really liked him, and I didn't want you to be angry with me since both of us really don't have any other friends."

"Well, it's all good," I said. "I realized I like Wes."

"Oh yeah. I heard about that. It's basically the gossip going on right now. Congrats."

"So that's why everyone's been acting strangely nice to me all day.." I said. Aly laughed.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you about me and Drew. I kind of hoped you wouldn't find out. I didn't want you to get hurt because I knew he was your first love."

"It's fine. I'm just glad we're friends again!" I squealed.

After a few days, I finally got my cast off. What a relief!

I was chilling on the couch, wearing sweats and watching Criminal Minds, when there was a knock on the door. I opened the door and was met with a smiling Wes holding a bouqet of flowers. I immediately tried to shut the door in his face. He couldn't see me like this! I looked like put his foot in the way of the door, so I couldn't close it.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

He pushed the door open and handed me the flowers. "What? You aren't happy to see me?" He asked while hugging me.

"I am, but… why are you here?"

He sighed. "You're so forgetful, Chloe. Remember when I said as soon as you got your cast off, we'd go on a date?"

"You literally meant it?" my mouth hung open.

"Well duh. Why else would I have said it?"

"Wait here. I've gotta change." I bolted for my room. I texted Aly some pictures of outfits that I could wear. She didn't like any of them until she reminded me about a skirt and tank that she gave me a few years ago that I refused to wear. I kept it in the back of my closet. I got it out. It looked completely new. No one would have noticed that it was from three years ago. I immediately put it on then rushed downstairs, completely ignoring the fact that I forgot to put on makeup. It was too late now.

I saw Wes in the middle of my parents and Austin. He was probably getting questioned. Oy. I had to help him get out of this torture.

"…And this was Chloe when she was four years old. She was riding a horse when she threw up on the poor thing…"

My eyes bulged open. "MOM!" I screeched. She was showing him my baby pictures?

"Oops.." she said while quickly putting the photo album away.

It was my dad's turn to be embarrassing. "Make sure you stay a reasonable distance away from him. He looks like trouble," he whispered to me loudly, making sure Wes heard him loud and clear.

Wes sat there as if this was totally normal. "Okay dad," I said so that he would be quiet already. I quickly grabbed Wesley's hand and led him towards the door. "Bye!" I yelled to my family, relieved to finally get away from them. I made my way out while Austin called after me, "Don't have too much fun! Make sure to use pepper spray if he tries anything!" I groaned. Brothers…

**A/n: Please give feedback. I feel like this story is getting boring or something...**


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

Wesley's POV

Chloe looked gorgeous as she walked towards the driveway where I stood holding the car door open for her. She wore a purple tank top with a black and white mini skirt, and her hair was let out in waves. After we exchanged proper hello's and were both settled, I started to drive. "Sorry about my family," she said. "They are so embarrassing.."

"No worries," I smiled. "My family is the exact same way."

"So where are we going?" she asked.

"Can't tell you. It's a surprise," I replied, trying to keep my eyes on the road. I just wanted to stare at her the whole night. I could smell her perfume wafting towards me because of the air conditioning, so I rolled down the windows and changed the topic.

Chloe's POV

Wes was acting really funny. He seemed like he was holding his breath in like Edward did with Bella in Twilight. What if he was a vampire? What if he was going to take me into the forest and suck my blood out until I was just an empty, hollow corpse? Luckily, I was prepared for that. I'd read a lot of Night World and knew exactly what would kill a vampire. A wooden stake through the heart.

When he stopped the car outside of a restaurant, I felt kind of silly about accusing him of being a vampire. I'd obviously been reading waaay too much and had an active imagination. What can I say? I was still a nerd at heart.

The restaurant was called Pavillon de Paris. I'd never had French food before, so I was looking forward to trying it. We were seated outside in a terrace-like setting. The lighting was dim and there were small tables set up along with candles. I immediately felt out of place. It had such a fancy atmosphere. I noticed that Wes was wearing a black dress shirt while I sat there in a mini skirt. Totally not classy. He must have noticed my uneasiness because he said not to worry about it and that I looked great.

It wasn't long before a waitress came to take our orders. I ordered the French Onion soup, mussels and prawns with tomato sauce, and escargot. Wes got foie gras, pistou soup, and duck. We talked and ate then ordered dessert, marjolaine, which is like cake along with rosemary ice cream. I was surprised at how good the food tasted. It must have been really expensive.

When we were halfway through dessert, Wes suddenly got up. He grabbed a guitar which I hadn't noticed was sitting behind me and started to play a song. (Before You Exit- I Like That Acoustic Version)** A/n: not an Emblem3 song.**

_You've got that smile, you've got it all_

_ I know I'm right, you think I'm dead wrong_

_ You've got that face, you've got that laugh_

_ I know you're shy and girl, I like that_

_ Can't find a mirror to see what I see in you_

_ But I will follow you until you see it too_

_ I know I can't help but love everything you do_

_ But you can't see that and girl, I like that_

_ I-I-I, I like that_

_ I-I-I, I like that_

I smiled and blushed. He started to get everyone to clap along to the beat.

_You got glasses on I, I like that_

_ Sing this song I, I like that_

_ Girl it's on I, I like that_

_ No makeup on I, I like that_

_ Sing this song I, I like that_

_ Girl it's on I, I like that_

As the song came to an end, Wes came closer to me, gently grabbing my hand and pulling me towards him in an embrace.

I sat there, eyes wide and cheeks red. Wes just sang to me in front of a ton of people who were all smiling and clapping.

I still couldn't believe what he did even after we got into the car. After a while, I spoke. "Why did you sing to me?" I guess it was a stupid question, but I was just appauled. No one had ever done that before.

"You make it sound like it's a bad thing," he said. "Look Chloe, I really like you. You're special, and you don't even realize it. I sang to you tonight to boost your confidence and show you how amazing you really are."

I smiled to myself. He was dead serious. I guess he wasn't a player after all...

I still had a burning question to ask him. It was bothering me like crazy. "Wes, why didn't you react to Britney the way that everyone else does?"

"What do you mean?" He kept his eyes locked on mine.

"I mean, everyone drops dead. You couldn't have cared less."

"I don't see anything in her that I haven't seen in every other girl in the world. She seems pretty ordinary to me."

I couldn't wrap my head around that. There was nothing that special about me either. As if he'd heard me, Wes said, "Don't even think that you're not special. Seriously Chloe. I just sang to you. Don't you think there must be something amazing about you for me to have done that? I mean, I don't just fall for anyone, you know." He winked. I rolled my eyes.

Wes stopped the car in front of my house. Before I could get out, he stopped me. He held out his hand and in it was an ipod. He was just full of surprises today, wasn't he? "What's this for?" I asked.

"I downloaded all of our (Emblem3's) songs into it plus some covers," he replied. "I thought it might help since you've been stressed out so much lately."

"Thanks!" I smiled and hugged him.

"I especially like song number 4," he added. I would make sure to listen to it as soon as possible, I thought to myself.

I got out of the car, ipod in hand, and walked towards the front door with Wes trailing behind me.

I stopped in front of the door, about to turn the keys in the lock, when Wes grabbed my arm and forced me to turn around. It happened so fast that as I turned around, while dropping my keys, Wes's lips crashed into mine. We stayed like that for a while. He finally pulled away and left me in a daze. "See you tomorrow," he whispered in my ear, huskily. It sent tingles throughout my entire body.

I finally managed to open the door after three failed attempts and was met with Austin smirking in my face. "What?" I asked confused.

"I saw that," he pointed towards the door. " I thought I told you to use pepper spray."

I rolled my eyes and made my way to the stairs but not before throwing a pillow at Austin's face to shut him up.

**A/n: Well, doesn't everything just seem to be going great? What could possibly happen next..? lol**

**Comment/fav/follow plz and thank you :)**


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

I'd been studying like crazy the past week, trying to take in as much information as possible in order to ace all of my finals and finally satisfy myself and my parents. I'd barely eaten or left my room except when necessary. Whenever I felt too tense, I calmed myself down with the help of music on the ipod Wes gave me.

I was in the middle of studying for my Calculus exam when I heard a knock at my door. Ugh! Really? I thought I told everyone to leave me alone. I couldn't study with any noise whatsoever. I needed complete peace and quiet. "What?!" I yelled.

It was my dad. "You have a visitor," he said. What person would visit me at this time of night? I got up from my bed angrily, opened my door, and was met with Wes, smiling like a little boy on Christmas. My face softened at the sight of him. "Now, don't close the door and make sure to study _only," _said my dad sharply to the both of us before heading downstairs. He was being a bit too cautious now that Birtney was pregnant..

I let Wes in and closed the door almost entirely so we could have at least a little privacy. I sat on my bed and eyed Wes who sat next to me. "Why are you here?"

"Didn't you hear? To study. I figured you might need some help."

"How thoughtful of you… but I prefer to study alone. _Without_ distractions," I emphasised. I could smell his intoxicating cologne, and it was driving me crazy.

"Really…So I'm a distraction for you?" He smirked, coming closer to me.

I rolled my eyes and pushed him away. "Well, let's get to studying!" I announced loudly.

Wesley's POV

Chloe and I laid on the bed while I helped her study Calculus. After a couple of chapters, she slowly fell asleep on my shoulder. I smiled to myself. I couldn't believe how lucky I was to have her. She was everything I could've asked for. Even though we were complete opposites, I knew we belonged together.

After a bit, my feet started to fall asleep, so I gently raised Chloe's head and set it down on her pillow while I stood up and walked around her room, in hopes that the tingly sensation in my feet would wear off.

I scanned Chloe's room. It was painted an ocean blue color and her furniture was black and white. My eyes stopped at her bookshelf. It was completely full. I stood in front of it and decided to read something. I grabbed a white book and opened it to the first page. It was handwritten. I was confused until I looked at the cover. It was titled 'Chloe's Diary.' I knew it was wrong, but I decided to go ahead and read it anyways. It was probably filled with things about me. Little did I know, I was in for a shock.

Every page talked about Drew. His hair. His eyes. His smile. It pissed me off. But the worst part were the doodles of both Chloe and him with hearts all around them. I could feel my face turning red with anger and rage. Was Chloe just using me to get to Drew? Did she not even like me? I couldn't stand to read anymore, so I slammed the diary shut, which apparently woke Chloe up.

Chloe's POV

I heard a loud slam and immediately woke up, just in time to see a blurry Wes making a bee-line for the door. I was confused. I called after him, but he didn't respond. He seemed…angry. But why? I was asleep, so I had no idea. I looked around my room once my vision cleared up and saw my diary on the ground. Uh-oh. Wes had probably opened my diary and read the things I wrote about Drew. No wonder he was so upset. He probably thought I was cheating on him or something.

Just then, my phone buzzed. It was a text from Wes that read, 'Don't bother waiting up for me tomorrow. We're over."

I gasped. How could he just break up with me? He didn't even know the whole story. I tried texting him in an attempt to explain, but it was useless. He didn't want to talk to or see me any longer.

After a few shocking minutes, the tears started to form. I sobbed into my pillow. Then, I grabbed the ipod he gave me and put it on song number four. His favorite.

_"You called me, said he broke your heart again  
Won't you let me pick up the pieces?  
Let me pick up all the pieces baby.  
You said even though you're not with him,  
That your life's too complicated.  
When you're in this situation,  
There's not much that I can say to you,  
But I would never lie.  
As long as I've got you next to me,  
Tonight I've got to try._

_I'm giving you the X's  
I'm giving you the O's  
I'm giving you everything in between,  
I saved it all for you.  
So hit me with a yes  
You gotta let me know  
I wanna be everything that you need  
I'll never let you go_

I'm giving you the...ooh ooh  
I'm giving you the...ooh ooh  
I'm giving you the...ooh ooh"

The music filled the room and drowned out my cries which were getting louder by the minute until I finally fell asleep._  
_

**A/n:**** *silently sobs* What do y'all think will happen next?**

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	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Aly's POV

Drew, Chloe, and I sat outside and ate our lunch. Chloe's eyes were puffy and red from crying so much over Wes. That jerk broke up with her over a text! And for a stupid reason. He didn't know anything about the situation but assumed that he did.

I couldn't stand to see Chloe this upset. Everytime we brought Wes up, she started to sob. She was never the type to cry over something like this but a lot had changed for her over these past few months.

"Chloe," said Drew. "You've gotta calm down. It's gonna be alright." She didn't utter a word but kept eating. She was about to break down again. "You know, Wes is ignoring me too. It's stupid, but I know he'll cool off soon enough. Then you can explain the story to him. I know he'll understand."

"Yeah Chloe. You can't let this get in the way of your life. Plus, we have exams next week. You can't let him be a distraction for you. You'll regret it later," I added.

Just then, everyone outside became silent. Wes was standing on a table, guitar around his neck. He was facing our direction and started to strum.

_"I'll never slip out this vibe, vibe.  
I get high through the low times. Yeahh...  
And for a minute I forget that, that I miss you.  
And in that moment doesn't matter that I miss you. Yeah!  
I know that I'll get over you, you. Yeah!  
And in the moment its true. true. Yeah!  
And for a minute I forget that, that I miss you.  
And in that moment doesn't matter that I miss you. Yeah!  
Say what you mean, mean what you say!  
(say what you mean, mean what you say!)  
Say what you mean, mean what you say!  
(say what you mean, mean what you say!)  
I said I wish that it could be..  
I said I wish that it could be.."_

I looked over at Chloe who seemed to be in a state of shock. He was looking at her the entire time, water forming in his eyes as well as hers. Chloe ran away. I was about to follow her but Drew said, "Give her some time. She needs it."

Chloe's POV

How could Wes do that? Everyone knew we were dating and now he just publicly announced our breakup. My heart stung as he sang those words. I rushed down the sidewalk, away from the school building and slipped into someone. Keatykat. I couldn't even look at him. He and Wes looked alike and being with Keaton made me feel more sad.

"Hey Chlo!" He smiled and hugged me. "Whoa. Are you crying?" He asked with concern. I deepened our hug and cried into his shirt. I tended to do that with all of the Strombergs..

After I was all cried out, I explained everything to Keaton. He just nodded. "You know, Wes is just overreacting. He'll be fine in a week or two."

"But our relationship will never be the same. He won't even listen to me," I frowned. "And… I think I love him, Keaton."

Keaton had a mischievious look in his eye but didn't say anything.

We were both silent. Finally I asked, "What were you doing outside of school anyways?"

"Ha-ha… totally not skipping…" he stated unconvincingly.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Wesley's POV

I was angry. At Chloe. At Drew. At the world. I finally found someone who I thought was the one, and it turned out to be a disaster. I went out of my way to do everything I possibly could for her. I gave her nice gifts, took her out to an expensive restaurant, and was even in the middle of writing an original song about her. But then I found out that she was trying to hook up with my best bud. I know it's not his fault, but I was mad at both of them. How could I not know this was coming?

I was so mad that I abruptly got up and sang a song to let my emotions out. I saw Chloe sitting with Drew and Aly. She looked miserable, but I didn't care. She had Drew by her side, so she should have been happy. But if I didn't care so much then why did I feel like comforting her when I saw her dejected face? And why wasn't she happy with Drew sitting and caring for her? And why was Aly still friends with her after she knew that Chloe was after Drew? I didn't want to find out the answers to any of these questions.

Chloe's POV

It was the week of exams. I'd been up all night partly because of studying and partly because of Wes. He never left my mind. He was someone hard to forget, but I had to forget him at least for the next few days so that I could focus.

It didn't help that I always saw him in the halls. We past each other all the time and even almost bumped into each other.

I learned to control myself and my emotions from spilling. I had a calm face whenever I saw him although my heart yearned for him on the inside.

Graduation was this Saturday. We would find out who Valedictorian and Salutatorian would be. Honestly, I didn't care who it would be. As long as I made A's on the exams, I'd be satisfied.

Immediately after the ceremony, there was going to be a senior dance. Drew already asked Aly. Guess I'd just stay home since I knew no one would ask me.

Exam week went by pretty fast. The tests were fairly easy in my opinion, but I couldn't be too sure. We would find out the Val and Sal this afternoon. It was going to be posted on the school website.

I was exhausted from all of the exams and crashed on my bed as soon as I got home. I woke up around 7:00 P.M. and remembered that I had to see who the Val and Sal were. While I waited for my very slow computer to load, I checked my phone. I had about 20 messages from people saying 'Congratulations!' For what? I wondered. Then it hit me. I was valedictorian, wasn't I? This was so exciting! I couldn't believe it!

I raced downstairs to tell everyone the good news. "Guess what?!"

"We heard, honey," said my mom proudly. "Congratulations!" My parents hugged me.

"I can't believe it," I said out of excitement. "I finally attained the goal of becoming valedictorian."

They looked at each other oddly. "What?" I said.

"Nothing. It's just that you aren't valedictorian. You're salutatorian," said my dad.

"Oh," I said confused. I was completely fine with being salutatorian as well but I had to ask, "Whose valedictorian?"

Austin came into the room and said, "Hah. Wes beat you."

"What are you talking about?" I asked, upset that he brought up Wes.

"He's valedictorian."

What?

**A/n: ****Updated thrice today. You're welcome. Btw, the story is coming to an end soon. Maybe 5 chapters left..**

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	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Yup. It was true. Wesley Stromberg was valedictorian. I suppose it shouldn't have been surprising considering how he barely put in any effort in school and managed to make straight A's. Oh well. This wouldn't faze me. I would be strong enough to pull myself together for graduation night without letting Wes' presence distract me.

It was the day of graduation, and it was chaotic. The house was a mess because I couldn't find my flat iron. I looked everywhere then remembered it was in a cabinet in my bathroom. Oops. The kitchen was also dirty because of all of the food my mom cooked us for dinner to celebrate.

Aly came over to get ready. Although no one would really be able to see our dresses, we still decided to go all out. Aly wore a red and black satin tulle dress that was knee-length and strapless. She tied her hair into a pony tail. I wore a white tulle A-line knee-length dress and curled my hair. We wore our gowns, which were navy blue and gold (go wolves!) on top, along with our cap and tassel then headed out.

The ceremony was being held at the events center. We got there an hour before it was supposed to start since we had to prepare and stuff. I was supposed to give a speech and so was Wes. I had been trying forever to figure out what to write. I finally had an epiphany last night and rushed to write my speech in the wee hours of the morning. I didn't think it was anything amazing though. I was kind of nervous. Although I came out of my shell, I was still scared as ever to to read this speech in front of all of my classmates and their families. There were probably going to be 400-600 people here. I took deep breaths to calm myself down, but it didn't really work.

Aly and I were standing in the hall when we saw Drew. "Hey. You look great," he said to Aly while kissing her. I cleared my throat to stop them from indulging into each other. "Oh. Hey Chloe," he said, as if he didn't even realize I was standing there the entire time. "Congrats on being Salutatorian!" he said enthusiastically while giving me a bear hug.

"Thanks," I replied. I hadn't seen Wes yet. Where was he?

I'm sure Drew could tell what I was thinking because he said, "I don't know where Wes is either. I went over to his house earlier to congratulate him though. We're friends again, and he seemed pretty normal to me. I was going to explain the whole story to him but then decided that it was best for you two to work things out on your own. I don't know why he isn't here yet though," he said while looking at his watch. "There's not much time left."

The ceremony began, and there was still no sign of Wes. I was told that if he didn't show up, I would just have to give my own speech and then we'd move on to receiving our diplomas.

Our class walked in and took their seats. Now, the staff and principal were talking. I didn't focus on their words because I was scared about my speech and worried about Wes. What if something happened to him?

"… Chloe James!" announced the principal, the crowd cheering and giving applause. I snapped out of my thoughts and walked onto the stage. I cleared my throat before I began:

"You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them – Maya Angelou." I started shakily with this quote.

"Welcome teachers, staff, family, and friends. Most importantly, welcome fellow classmates and graduates! I'm sure you all will agree when I say these four years went by pretty fast with their fair share of fun and hardships. From the arduous projects and SAT's to Powderpuff and Prom, a lot has happened to alter each of us in a way that we may not even understand but also in a way that will stay with us forever. I chose my beginning quote for this reason. Through whatever happened during all of these events, none of it was in our control. However, we overcame whatever we had to in order to be sitting here right now, not letting anyone or anything get in our way. This is no small feat. Give yourselves a pat on the back!

When we move on to college in a few short months, a lot will change. We'll be put into a different environment and will have to learn to adjust. All the challenges that we will face, though, will be to our advantage. They will shape us into better people and prepare us for our future."

I went on and on until I reached the end. "Things happen when we least expect it, and life always throws a curveball at us just when we think everything is perfect. I know this from my own experience. A lot of things have changed in my life just in this year alone. I have a better relationship with my family and friends, I've come out of my shell, and I've learned that I'm special and worth more than what I believe. This was all possible because of one very special person in my life who isn't present right now. Regardless, I would like all of us to give a round of applause to Wesley Stromberg, our Class of 2013 Valedictorian." I looked around in the crowd and was disappointed that I didn't see his face. After the applause died down, I continued. "What I'm trying to say is, don't sell yourself short. You all can accomplish even the craziest of dreams as long as you believe in yourself, are motivated, and have the passion to want to be successful. Again, congratulations to all of you, and I wish you luck on your new journey."

I was depressed the rest of the night. After my speech, we received our diplomas. I kept looking for Wes, but it was no use. He didn't show up. And it made me mad. I wanted to see him. I wanted to see his beautiful smiling face. Mostly, I wanted his forgiveness.

After the ceremony, people came to congratulate me and applaud me for my well-written speech. I was too sad/angry to be enthusiastic about it. My parents and Austin brought me flowers and balloons. "Congratulations, honey!" said mom and dad.

"Thanks," I sulked. "Austin, is Keaton here?" I asked, hopefully.

"Naw. I haven't seen him," he replied.

I ran to my car. "Where are you going?" my mom asked.

"I have to see Wes!" I yelled from across the road.

**Hope y'all liked this chapter**

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	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

I was parked in front of Wesley's house. I had been sitting in my car for the past 20 minutes, thinking about what I would say to him. Finally, I managed to muster up enough courage to knock on the door.

Baby Keater Bear opened the door. "Hey Chloe! Congrats on being-"

"Yeah, I know. Thanks," I cut him off. "Why weren't you there?" I asked. He shrugged. "Where's Wes?" I asked, concerned. "Why didn't he show up?"

"In Alaska..?"

"Really Keaton? You think I'm going to believe that?" He shrugged again. I felt bad but shoved him aside and bolted upstairs, while he yelled after me to stop.

I assumed Wes was in his room. I was right. I could hear tunes blasting from inside. No matter how much I wished to break the door open, I didn't. It would be an invasion of his privacy, so I knocked. Once, twice, three times. Each time, Wes yelled to go away and each time, I almost melted at the sound of his voice ringing in my ears.

Finally, I think he got annoyed. I heard him turn off the music and stomp towards the door. He opened it and said, "Keaton, how many tim-" He stood motionless and stunned. "Oh."

I looked at his tear-stained face and almost shattered into a million pieces. This was all my fault. He turned his face away so that I couldn't see it then made a motion like he was going to close the door, but I swiftly ran into his room before it closed.

"Wesley.." my voice shook. He just bore a hole through me with his stare. "I don't care if you don't wanna hear this, but I have to get this off of my chest. You have to know the truth. Just let me say what I have to say, and I'll leave you alone…even if it means forever." I knew that I would regret saying that.

He sat on his bed, and I followed, keeping a reasonable amount of distance between us so that I didn't lose it. "I'm not going to deny what you saw in my diary. Yes. I did like Drew. I had a crush on him since forever. I always dreamed about marrying him. But then I met a smart, sarcastic goofball named Wesley, and he turned my world around. He made me realize that I am actually worth something. He comforted me when no one else did. He helped me develop into a better, more positive person. And I figured out that I have feelings for him…Notice the tense I used."

He didn't speak. I sighed. "If you noticed, there were dates next to each entry in my diary. Drew's were from months ago. If you had read far enough, you would have seen what I wrote about you. Those entries are recent and are still kept up to date until today." He still didn't seem convinced.

"I admit it, at first, I thought of using you to get to Drew. But that quickly changed. You drew me in. I love how when you get nervous or frustrated, your cheeks redden. I love how you get lost in your music and are so passionate about it. I love how sarcastic you act with me. I love how you can be cool and a nerd at the same time. I love how there are so many layers to your personality that I haven't even seen yet but that I really want to explore," my voice was genuine. Everything I said was true and was coming from deep in my heart. "Wes, I love you." He was still, but I could see his eyes dilate. "Well, I guess that's all I have to say." I reached my hand out to touch his cheek then moved my hand through his hair one last time. I could still see sadness in his eyes. I hugged him quickly, got up, then left his room. "Bye.."

Wesley's POV

I couldn't go to the graduation. I wouldn't have been able to handle seeing Chloe. So I stayed home.

But she came. She came to see if I was okay. Why would she do that if she didn't care for me? I was shocked to even see her here. She should have been out enjoying graduation night not coming to see me. I knew I still had feelings for her the minute that she walked into my room no matter what I tried to make myself believe.

She explained the truth to me. Although I didn't know if I should have believed it. I did notice the dates on the side of the diary but.. still. Then she said those three words. I love you. She sounded like she truly meant it. Why didn't I say anything back? Did I still not trust her? I didn't know what to believe. I stayed quiet. When she was about to leave, she touched me, and I felt the sparks all over again. I wanted so bad to say that I forgive her, yet I couldn't bring myself to do it. And then she left. Possibly for good. And I let her leave. I didn't run after her or anything like they do in the movies. I just watched her leave. I let my whole world just walk away from me without looking back. I was an idiot.

I guess I just needed some type of confirmation. Afterall, a good actress could say those words to anyone, and they would have believed it. As if by chance, Keaton walked into my room. "Wow bro."

"What?" I asked.

"I thought you two would finally make up and make out. What happened? Why did you let her leave like that?"

"Like what?" I asked confused.

"Dude, she was crying."

"I didn't say anything to her.." Literally.

"You know, she cried over you everyday at school since the day you broke it off. She can't see herself living without you. Why don't you believe what she says?"

"I don't know.." I trailed off.

Bing! Keaton got a text. "It's Austin. He said to show you this." It was a video of the graduation. Chloe was giving her speech. She seemed so cool and confident. I was proud of her for that. Towards the end of her speech, she mentioned my name. She was thanking me. That was confirmation enough. She meant everything she said to me tonight. Why else would she have gone through the trouble of crying each day, complaining to Keaton, thanking me in her speech, and personally coming over to check on me and explain the truth, and telling me she.. loves me..? I knew I had to fix this.

**A/n: I think this is my favorite chapter. Well, this and the next two. If you want me to continue posting...**

**Comment/fav/follow :) Pretty Please? With Emblem3 on top?**


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